Epoch Senior Living is rolling out a new training program for all memory care staff in an effort to provide better care to residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

The company announced at the end of October the expansion of dementia training for all employees within its 11 Bridges and 5 Waterstone Senior Living memory care communities.

Christine Brooks, executive director of the Bridges by Epoch at Sudbury. A longtime senior living employee of 24 years and certified dementia trainer, said that the company’s move stemmed from the fact that “there were very few staff members [who] were certified dementia practitioners.” 

“I asked senior management if they would be interested in sending me to a class which would allow me to train others and they thought it was a great idea and that they’d like me to train across the entire company,”” Brooks told Memory Care Business.

Brooks said she believes that through the expanded training for Epoch staff members at memory care communities the company has a chance to “go deeper with training.”

The first class of staff to complete the program finished last month, with a second class of employees currently in training, with all employees to complete training in phases in the coming months.

Frontline staff training a focus point for Epoch

With its new training, Epoch is positioning itself to better meet a growing demographic-driven demand for higher-acute senior housing. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.8 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease and that figure is expected to spike to nearly 14 million people by 2050.

“This training is for everybody who work with the memory impaired, especially the frontline staff who work with these residents on a daily basis and that’s why our life enrichment teams were the first ones to be trained,” Brooks added. “It’s really vital that our employees are trained for this type of work.”

The training is built around standards set by the National Council of Certified Alzheimer’s and Dementia Practitioners and covers “every aspect of a person’s life” for those living with dementia, Brooks said. That includes life enrichment activities, activities, care, dining experience and behaviors. 

The training also covers different forms of dementia and how symptoms can manifest in those living with cognitive decline.

“We have to understand that our residents are human beings who deserve the best quality of life, but we need to understand that their lives are changing, and we must be prepared for that,” Brooks said. “We have to learn about how to deal with each stage of dementia and our residents are going to present with symptoms very differently and we need to be ready.”

The training outlines compassionate approaches staff can take to connect with residents and keeps the focus on individuality, she added.

Brooks added that the training gives staff “the tools to work with” in providing thoughtful and impactful dementia care to residents living in memory care communities. In all, the one-day, 10-hour training geared toward specific needs in a community, meaning that training priorities can change to match the needs of each memory care property. 

“We talk about the experiences we’ve all had, and we share those experiences which I find that very helpful,” Brooks said.

Younger residents in memory care pose new challenges

Older adults living with dementia are entering memory care communities sooner in their care journey, sometimes creating new challenges as staff look to help younger, more active residents live through stages of cognitive decline. 

“Staff are not used to dealing with someone in their 60s [who] has memory impairment,” Brooks said. “It’s a very different resident than what you’re used to from someone in their 80s.”

A younger resident base across memory care communities forces operators to revamp programming and life enrichment activities because younger residents, although living with dementia, are more active throughout the day, Brooks said. 

“Our residents don’t want to play bingo, and the residents want to feel productive and we have to treat them differently,” Brooks said.

For example, Brooks shared an experience she had with a resident living with dementia, who retired as a business leader, in which this resident was given a clipboard and designated as “her assistant.” Through that small gesture, this resident found a sense of purpose and accomplishment, she said.

“It kept him busy, he felt productive and it made him smile,” Brooks added.

That’s why it’s vital for senior living operators to “get to know the person” and what’s important to them in being able to provide an enriched life for those living with dementia, Brooks said. 

With the training, life enrichment teams “need to know how to pivot” in order to meet these individualized, unique needs of younger residents living with dementia, while meeting the needs of all residents within a memory care community. 

As younger residents enter communities, Epoch team members are embarking on deeper assessments and learning the background of each resident to prepare for specific needs to be met to ensure a smooth transition into the community, Brooks said.

“We have such a great team who collaborates together so that we can all bounce ideas off each other and figure out how we’re going to make this work,” Brooks said. “The staff want this to be a success because it makes their jobs easier and improves the care we can provide.”

The future of memory care is “ever-changing and evolving,” Brooks said, a trend she believes will continue until dementia therapies are widely available.