Established in the year 2000, the Alzheimer’s Association Learning InstituteTM provides dementia specific and general caregiving, culturally appropriate educational programs and consultative services. The Institute offers courses for professional and non-professional caregivers and seminars for businesses and the community at large.
The Importance of Education for Family Caregivers
More than 7 out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease live at home, where family and friends provide almost 75 percent of their care. The challenges posed by a family member with Alzheimer's disease, such as personality and behavioral changes, can overwhelm the unprepared caregiver. The Learning Institute’s educational programs for families and non-professional caregivers provide participants with strategies to cope with the complexities of caring for a person with the disease. Participants also gain the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully partner with physicians and other health care professionals in order to provide the highest-quality dementia care possible.
The Value of Professional Caregiver Education
The Learning InstituteTM professional education programs are designed to bring to health care, residential care and community service organizations specialized training in dementia care. This enables facilities to provide the quality of care that consumers are demanding. Health care administrators recognize that providing staff with continuing education and with opportunities to refine their skills, not only enhances the facility and the quality of care provided, but also reduces stress and ensures retention of an invaluable workforce. Nurses, CNAs, Activities Directors and many other professionals in the field are demanding Alzheimer’s specific training. To be better prepared to respond to the increased challenges of their employment, healthcare professionals want to learn about the latest standards of care and they seek to gain a better understanding of the disease process and its unique clinical challenges.
Education Programs
The Alzheimer's Association Learning InstituteTM offers a variety of ongoing educational programs targeted to specific audiences- health care and social services professionals, individuals with the disease and their families, and the general public—as well as customized speaking engagements and consultative services. The Learning InstituteTM programs are held at different locations throughout the Alzheimer’s Association’s nine county region. The Institute also offers web-based, interactive training. Some educational programs offer continuing education (CE) credits. All Learning Institute’s educational programs are evaluated against national benchmarks.
