Improving daily care for assisted living residents with dementia
Optimizing the Daily Care Interactions Between Direct Care Staff and Assisted Living Residents with Dementia
This project pilots a training program to help care staff use kinder, more effective ways of interacting with assisted living residents who have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State University, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193440 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or a loved one live in an assisted living facility and have dementia, staff at your facility would be offered the Promoting Positive Care Interactions (PPCI) training to learn how to notice abilities and preferences, read nonverbal cues, and use calm respectful approaches. The research team will pilot the program in participating assisted living facilities and observe daily care interactions before and after training. They will track resident outcomes such as behavioral distress and comfort, as well as staff outcomes like confidence and competence in dementia care. The program will be adapted for cultural fit and practicality so it can be used during routine care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are assisted living residents who have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and who receive hands-on daily care from facility staff.
Not a fit: People without Alzheimer's or related dementias, residents in care settings not participating in the pilot, or those with unstable acute medical conditions may not directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, residents may experience fewer distressing behaviors and kinder, more respectful day-to-day care from staff.
How similar studies have performed: Other person-centered and staff-training approaches have shown promise in reducing resident behavioral distress and improving staff skills, so this pilot builds on encouraging prior work.
Where this research is happening
University Park, United States
- Pennsylvania State University, the — University Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paudel, Anju — Pennsylvania State University, the
- Study coordinator: Paudel, Anju
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.