Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) are the fastest growing means of providing assistance to the elderly with Alzheimer?s I Dementia (AD), but generally care is provided by untrained, nonprofessional staff. Therefore, the overall, long term goal of our program is to improve the quality of AD care for persons residing in assisted living facilities. In Phase I, the objective of the project was to develop a comprehensive, interactive, multimedia assisted living employee training program on CD-ROM which focused on one aspect of AD, """"""""Enhancing Communication."""""""" In Phase II, the series of AD modules will be completed.
The specific aims for expansion of the CD-ROM based training program will include: 1) develop the comprehensive training program by completing five additional AD related modules; 2) develop accompanying written materials; 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the CD-ROMs based on the knowledge testing provided to assisted living caregivers; 4) develop the marketing and commercialization plan. By the end of Phase II, we will have completed the development, production, and commercialization training program encompassing AD care provided by assisted living caregivers.
The number of assisted living beds in the United States is estimated to be 1.4 million. As the assisted living industry continues to growth, the number of caregivers will also inc rease to maintain adequate quality of care. With the increased training needs of assisted living caregivers and the increase in state regulation, the marketing/commercial potential for computer-based training will be vast.
