Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias: A Training Manual for Special Care Unit Staff

Alzheimer's Disease currently affects over 4 million adults, at a cost of care of over $90 billion annually. As the aging population increases, so will the number of individuals affected with this illness. Current services are inadequate, and health care costs continue to rise. The future will see an increased demand for specialized services relating to the care of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. With little or no regulation regarding the implementation of such services, the quality of care remains uncertain. The purpose of this project was two-fold. First, this project focused on developing a training manual for those staff involved in long term care settings. Second, this manual was also intended to be used by family and caregivers to determine if the prospective specialized services would meet their needs and the needs of their loved ones.