Credentialing organization seeks dementia caregivers for survey

Healthcare professionals and family members who care for people who have Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, as well as those who provide training for these caregivers, are being sought by the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care (NCBAC) for its Job Task Survey. The NCBAC will use responses to set benchmarks related to the provision of care or the training of those who provide care, to inform the NCBAC’s certification exams and to assist policymakers seeking to regulate the professional provision of care for those with dementia.

The NCBAC, an allied healthcare board certification organization, confers two national credentials via a voluntary process that aims to validate the competency of caregivers and educators on their practice-based knowledge and the application of that knowledge.

One crediential, Certified Alzheimer Caregiver (CAC), is for people who care for those with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. CACs may be family members or healthcare professionals who work in home care, adult daycare centers, hospice, assisted living communities or nursing homes. The credential is designed to demonstrate a certain level knowledge and understanding of the special needs and circumstances of those with dementia and their families, as well as the competence to work on a practical level with this population, using knowledge of the disease to apply strategies to produce the best possible environment of care.

The other credential, Certified Alzheimer Educator (CAEd), is for professionals who can explain dementia to the public and/or train healthcare professionals who offer direct care to those with dementia. Those with the CAEd credential understand the disease and how to provide care, and they know effective methods for imparting information to adults. In addition to providing education and training in dementia care, CAEds often serve in supervisory roles along the continuum of senior care.

Click on the link in the first paragraph to take the survey.