Effectiveness of a psycho-educational staff training program on attitudes of staff in a long-term care facility: A pilot study and framework

ABSTRACTManaging Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) is a significant challenge for staff working in long-term care facilities. This study examines the effectiveness of a psycho-educational training aimed at changing staff’s attitudes. The results indicated that participants’ attitudes toward dementia were more positive, person-centered, and hopeful; some participants’ attitudes were unchanged or altered negatively after the training sessions. The conclusiveness of evaluation findings was limited due to time constraints for staff to participate in the complete educational program and the small dataset. Further research is indicated to revise the methodology of the training to ascertain if the framework regarding education on dementia influences staff’s attitude and the overall well-being of the residents.