Author:
Kim Warchol, President and Founder of DCS at CPI
The ability to deliver effective care to those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is dependent upon having staff with advanced dementia and behavior de-escalation knowledge and skills. Developing this specialized workforce that can create positive outcomes requires resources for dementia care training, but the investment should pay off in multiple ways.
Many organizations are hesitant to invest much in dementia training because they don’t see the connection to a strong return on their investment (ROI). But a team that is empowered and supported is very capable of producing strong ROI.
Four Factors That Impact the ROI You Can Expect from a Dementia Training Program
Factor #1: Your Perspective and Dementia Training Intent
What is the purpose of training? Why attend a training program or send staff to one?
It’s helpful to check-in on the perspective leadership holds as to the purpose and value because training yourself and staff should come with clear ROI expectations.
- If training is viewed as simply checking a compliance box, the value is greatly diminished out of the gate.
- But if advancing knowledge and skills is coveted because you view it as a tool to innovate and achieve a specific goal or to solve a problem, you are on the road to success.
So, first and foremost, be very clear as to why you or your organization seek training. What is your intent? For example, do you have too many falls or client aggression that puts the person in care, your staff, or others at risk? Are your clients being hospitalized/re-hospitalized or are you using too many antipsychotics to “control behaviors”? Is staff turnover out of control? Are you losing ground to competitors?
Be clear on your intent and the straight line from training investment to:
(a) a solution for known problems,
(b) a tool to improve financials or other key metrics or
(c) a strategy to innovate and grow referrals or census, should be very evident.
If that’s not perfectly clear then stop, and reassess. Work backwards from your intent/goals to initiating the best training as a part of your strategy and solution.
Factor #2: Staff Turnover
When it comes to turnover, there are two very different, yet valuable ways to think about impact.
First, how does turnover impact training ROI? Honestly, it’s a killer. As we know, staff turnover is high, and it takes time to develop a confident and competent team. When staff frequently turn over, there simply isn’t enough time to skill them up and reap the benefits of their newly acquired expertise.
Turnover is a hard nut to crack and requires a multi-factorial, broad solution. I won’t tackle this in a big way in this blog, but I will say no business or team can succeed if there isn’t some consistency in the workforce.
Great news!
The other way to think about this is recognizing how dementia training can help to reduce staff turnover. Quality training can help those working in memory care to remain with their employer longer. Why?
One thing we know is that staff can leave if they don’t feel safe, and aggression in dementia care is more common than many realize. A study found 40% of Certified Nursing Assistants reported at least one episode of physical violence from a resident in the past year, 18% faced it daily. Our Dementia Capable Care (DCC) Specialist Credential and DCC Instructor Certification programs empower healthcare professionals with tools to recognize triggers, de-escalate situations, and provide compassionate, person-centered care without fear.”
Recent surveys of staff working in the home care space have found staff often feel unprepared to do their job, especially when working with those with dementia. Until preparatory institutions start including dementia training in their curriculums, employers are responsible for training their teams to be sure they are confident and competent to do their work. Developing a staff who can confidently deliver care to those with dementia will help retention and can also improve other coveted outcomes such as family and client satisfaction.
Training can then be a solution to the staff turnover problem and other ROI data points that are easy to measure and monitor. You should see cost savings related to the lack of need to replace staff. And, when staff remain longer it provides the necessary time to develop their expertise, so those outcome benefits can be realized.
Factor #3: The Quality of the Training Program and the Trainer
Both have a huge impact. To be an impactful training program, the content, content design, and trainer all need to be five-star.
Many training courses are typically designed by a subject matter expert and may not be based on evidence. The development process often doesn’t include adult learning designers. Let’s explore each of these critical components of quality training.
Dementia Training Program Design: The kind of training that really produces actionable, tangible results requires the same development rigor as courses we take in educational curriculums. When subject matter experts’ partner with adult learning experts, the magic happens. As an example, adult learners retain up to 75% of knowledge when training uses experiential learning, interactive discussion and demonstration. Course design really matters!
Dementia Trainer Expertise: Many who teach dementia training courses do not have a background in education or have not received training on how to teach others. But the skills of the trainer really matter. Whether the trainer is with the training organization you hire or your employee who is responsible for delivering a train-the-trainer program, they must be skilled facilitators for participants to really learn.
The training should be filled with great evidence-based content and designed and delivered with the highest quality. If missing a component, your “training” will fall flat.
Tips:
When shopping for a training program that can produce strong ROI, investigate the following:
- Does the content align with your problems or goals (e.g. the intent as described in #1)?
- Was the program designed with the assistance of adult learning experts and is it based on evidence?
- Does the training organization employ skilled facilitators?
- And if a train-the-trainer model, what training, resources, and support does the training organization include for your staff member who is becoming the new trainer to become confident and competent to facilitate an effective program?
Factor #4: Training Reinforcement
The concepts learned must remain top of mind and this is related to how well the organization, and the leaders provide support after the initial training course.
Training should never be one and done or it isn’t very worthy. Having constant reinforcement of training principles is non-negotiable for attaining a strong training ROI. Ensuring what is learned in training is supported over time requires a 360-degree view of “training”. We must understand attending an initial training course is only one component for learning and on the job application to occur.
Adults learn best when they experience the content multiple times and multiple ways. Skill development and confidence occur when the original content is reinforced in subsequent learning sessions and inclusive of case studies or real time feedback.
Training drift- forgetting what we learned- can be avoided when the content is represented again over time in on-the-job tools such as job aids, care plans, assessments and the like. Learning will fall flat if someone hears it once, and it is never talked about or used again.
Tips:
- Introduce the training with your “why” statements and make it as personal as possible. Say something such as “You are taking this dementia training course to:
(a) help you feel more confident and safe on the job,
(b) we are promising families that we will provide the best care out there for their loved one with dementia and that means we need a dementia capable workforce, or
(c) you will learn ways to help your client to be more independent which will help ease the burden on you and help the person in your care to feel more successful. - Provide at least quarterly touch points in which the trainer or other leaders monitor the staff and give staff opportunities to share where they do or don’t feel confident.
- Provide continued learning around the core concepts on a routine basis.
- Offer a recognition program, milestones and a career ladder.
- Coach compassionately to areas of weakness but always be clear on the expectations and the “why”.
Summary
I suggest the following framework to ensure your training investment is an effective tool that you can put to work for you:
- Prior to training, discuss clear goals and outcome expectations. Why do you want you and your staff to have this advanced knowledge and skills? Does your staff value the training- what is in it for them?
- Select a training program that aligns to the wants, needs and goals you’ve established.
- Be sure to have continued learning and career paths mapped out.
- Create some easy to monitor data points that help you measure success, challenges, and value over time.
- Closely monitor results and make necessary adjustments to strengthen your program, your team, and your ROI.
With this formula you can expect to have a dementia capable workforce that is empowered and supported by your organization. The ROI should become extremely evident, and your training investment should be a no brainer, benefiting all.
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