Alzheimer's Awareness Ribbon

The Alzheimer’s Association released the first practice recommendations for professionals providing home care to people with Alzheimer’s.

The recommendations were distributed in early November to coincide with National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Professionals Working in a Home Setting (pdf) is the fourth in the association’s series of evidence-based publications aimed at helping providers and caregivers to administer person-centered, culturally sensitive care for people with dementia.

“These recommendations are an asset to the delivery of quality care, as they provide concrete advice and rationale for curricula and hands-on care for direct-care givers, as well as supervisory personnel,” said Carol Rodat, PHI New York policy director and a member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s national advisory committee, which reviewed the recommendations.

The recommendations support training that emphasizes relationship-centered care regardless of the stage of the disease.

“We applaud the Alzheimer’s Association for this comprehensive work and making recommendations for relationship-centered care training — the type of training that PHI provides,” said Rodat. “We look forward to other collaborations to serve this important and large population.”

This manual joins three sets of recommendations that were designed for nursing home and assisted living residences. Combined, the recommendations form the basis of the association’s multiyear Campaign for Quality Care.

More than 20 organizations support the recommendations on caring for people with Alzheimer’s who live at home, including PHI, the American Geriatrics Society and National Association for Home Care and Hospice.

About 70 percent of people with dementia or cognitive impairment live at home.

The recommendations support training that emphasizes relationship-centered care regardless of the stage of the disease.