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Nutrition-related training experiences of staff involved in the care of Alzheimer patients

Alexis V. Keiser

Gail E. Gates, PhD, RD

Candace S. Holdt, PhD, RD

University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Staff training in special care units (SCU) and adult day care programs (ADC) is extremely important for the proper management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, even though there are indications that current training programs may be inadequate. Staff of 11 SCUs and 12 ADCs completed questionnaires designed to characterize the nutrition-related training they received in order to identify areas where improved training could result in better nutritional care of clients with AD or other dementias. Staf of both settings reported in-services as the most commonly attended training activity followed by conferences. ADC staff attended significantly more college courses that included topics related to AD than SCU staff (p < .05). The most frequently reported topics included in training sessions were, encouraging Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Candace S. Holdt, PhD, RD, is Assistant Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. food intake, responding to problem eating behaviors, and providing verbal cues to eating. The topics less frequently covered in training were managing overeating, sanitary feeding techniques and manipulation of food shapes, sizes and consistencies. Both groups reported that experience was their best preparation for work with AD clients. More studies are needed to determine what areas of training in the nutritional aspect of care are most effective, how to deliver training programs to impact the ability of staff to provide appropriate nutritional care to clients with AD, and how to measure the effectiveness of training.

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