Come Sept. 1, managers and caregivers at Texas assisted living communities serving people living with dementia will be required to complete four hours of dementia-related training and pass an exam about dementia, person-centered care, care-planning, activities of daily living, and common behaviors associated with dementia.
Additionally, direct care staff members and facility managers will be required to complete two hours of continuing education every year. And all other staff members — such as workers in the housekeeping, front desk and maintenance areas as well as other departments — will be required to complete training covering the basics of dementia, person-centered care and effective communication, and they also will be required to pass an evaluation demonstrating their understanding and dementia competency.
The Texas Assisted Living Association worked with the bill’s sponsor to ensure that the requirements are both “reasonable for providers” and result in more informed and collaborative caregiving for our residents with Alzheimer’s and other similar diagnoses.” TALA Vice President of Public Policy Carmen Tilton previously told McKnight’s Senior Living that HB 1673 would apply to almost every non-Alzheimer’s-certified assisted living community in the state and that the training topics can be completed under existing course hours.
Other states also recently have enacted dementia-related legislation, according to the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, the advocacy affiliate...
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