Specialized Training for Staff

When Saint Mary’s secured dementia unit, Mercy Terrace, opened in the summer of 2000, all staff went through an extensive 8-hour training directed by Gerontology Network Services.

The Program Director and Certified Recreational Therapist design the ongoing education provided to Mercy Terrace staff on the unit. Topics included:

• Secured dementia unit admission and discharge criteria
• Phases of dementia and care needs
• Understanding what Alzheimer’s does to the brain
• Functional assessment staging
• Dementia vs. Depression vs. Delirium
• Communicating with people who are confused
• Importance of Activity Therapy (Group and Individual)
• Factors that contribute to increased behavior problems
• Role of psychoactive medications
• Resident specific approaches