nc-stampSB 581 – Establish Mandatory Dementia Care Training
Primary Sponsor: Sen. Mike Woodard (D – Caswell)
This bill would require that adult care homes, nursing homes and combination homes that provide special care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias provide dementia care training to direct care staff, administrative staff and non-direct care staff and establish minimum standards for training.
This bill would require that each staff person complete the training required within 60 days of the date of hire.
The content of the training would be required to include all of the following:

  • Dementia, including progression of the disease, memory loss, and behavioral symptoms;
  • Strategies for providing person-centered care;
  • Communication issues;
  • Techniques for understanding and approaching behavioral symptoms;
  • Information on how to address care and safety with regards to pain, food, fluid and wandering.

The NC Division of Health Service Regulation would be responsible for identifying and designating standardized training programs. This would include online training programs.
Any person conducting the training would be required to meet all of the following minimum qualifications:

  • Two years of work experience related to Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, or two years of work experience in health care, gerontology or related field;
  • Completed training equivalent to the requirements and passed an evaluation component that includes a demonstration of skill competency.

The adult care homes would be required to bear the entire cost of training staff.