An in-home care franchisor has announced an expansion of a dementia care program to better prepare caregivers for providing person-centered care.
ComForCare launched “DementiaWise 2.0” in May, an enhancement to its existing DementiaWise program originally launched in 2013.
The company is providing caregivers an additional five hours of training in eight modules in order to develop better ways of caring for older adults in each stage of dementia. The training, delivered through Relias – ComForCare’s learning management system – includes new strategies for care, new staging guides, schedules and a new manual.
ComForCare has hundreds of locations independently owned and operated in Canada and the U.S.
The need for adding to and enhancing the DementiaWise programming came from an increase in the number of clients with some form of dementia, according to Rebecca Bouchard, ComForCare brand president. The program was rolled out as a way to better prepare employees, as well as to increase overall job satisfaction, she said.
Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease now number seven million, and that total is expected to triple by 2060. Preparing for an influx of older adults with dementia is a trend across the wider senior housing and care spectrum. As the baby boomers age, no doubt many will live with some form of cognitive decline, and companies in 2024 have prepared for that by investing in better knowledge and training.
ComForCare worked with Duke University in 2022 to analyze where it could enhance the program.
“We just wanted a more advanced training to offer to the caregivers to really be able to improve the care that is being provided to those individuals living with dementia,” Bouchard told Memory Care Business. “When we gain new insights into how conditions change and new data becomes available, we’re really ready to pivot and implement the tools that will best support the client.”
Due to the recent rollout of the updated program, Bouchard said feedback is limited. However, from what she has been able to hear, it’s being well-received from franchisees and staff that are using it.
In addition to the DementiaWise program, ComForCare is utilizing a memory care program called Joyful Memories that involves the use of music to bring clients back to a specific time in their life. For example, Bouchard said there have been times when nonverbal clients have started singing along with a song that has meaning to them.
Moving forward, Bouchard said the idea is to keep a finger on the pulse of the program’s rollout and how it can possibly be adjusted. Additionally, ComForCare plans to increase community and awareness regarding dementia and how to care for family members that have it.
“The number of individuals living with dementia obviously is increasing and is expected to continue to increase,” Bouchard said. “And ComForCare is really passionate about supporting individuals through all stages of dementia. And so we really want to become more of a resource for the general public, community awareness and education.”
