JACH staff trained in dementia care

The United States population is aging.   The aging of baby boomers is giving rise to the “graying of America”, with people age 65 and older expected to nearly double from where it is today to 95 million by 2060.

Increase in the senior population means an increase in the occurrence of dementia, with dementia incidence doubling every 5 years from 65 to 90 years old.

At Joliet Area Community Hospice (JACH), Alzheimer’s Disease/advanced dementia is one of the top four diagnoses of the adults cared for in its hospice program. To expertly care for these patients, JACH has a Certified Dementia Practitioner whose role is to stay informed about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and to train JACH staff on these prevalent illnesses.

JACH training curriculum covers understanding dementia, effective communication with individuals with dementia, assisting people with dementia in performing their activities of daily living, problem solving with individuals with dementia who exhibit challenging behaviors, and fundamentals of dementia care, safe environments, and managing the activities of individuals with dementia.   After an initial six-hour training, clinical staff members receive three hours of training annually.

According to Bonnie Leto, LSW, JACH Alzheimer’s Services Supervisor and Certified Dementia Practitioner,   “I have noticed that the increase in training for our staff has helped all of our staff be more in tune with our dementia patients.   This increased training has given our staff the ability to work better with our dementia patients and to also help the families better understand the complexities of working with their loved one who has this disease.”

To learn more, please contact Joliet Area Community Hospice, the community’s choice for quality hospice, palliative care and grief support services and a proud United Way agency at 815-740-4104.