Grants and Funded Projects

Dementia Training to promote Involvement in Meaningful Activity
(Retirement Research Foundation)
Principal Investigator: Kathleen C. Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN

The objective of the proposed project is to develop and implement an evidence-based training program for nurses; social workers; activity, recreational, occupational, and physical therapists (AT, RT, OT, PT); and discipline specific assistive personnel (e.g., nursing, social work, and AT, RT, OT, and PT assistants) to equip them with the skills they need to provide meaningful activity-based care for older persons with dementia in compliance with recently revised regulations from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The overarching goal is to facilitate use of diverse activity-based interventions that are personalized to the individual resident, and fully understood and useable by all team members on a day-to-day basis, not just designated activity personnel.

Proposed Outcomes:

• Improved team members' skills and knowledge about meaningful, individualized resident activity
• Improved team members' access to interdisciplinary training
• Improved service delivery and provision of quality, culturally competent care
• Increased involvement in meaningful activities by residents with dementia