In partnership with the Los Angeles Ombudsman Program, administered by WISE and Healthy Aging, the USC GWEP will address the training needs of CNA nursing students in local nursing homes.
Communication between patients, staff and family members is often complicated by cultural differences that impacts views about dementia and perspectives regarding critical care issues. The curriculum presents concrete strategies to identify triggers to difficult resident behavioral problems, empowering workers to address the underlying causes of the behavior and improve patient outcomes. Teaching students and CNA’s simple strategies to mitigate these communication barriers can lead to greater job satisfaction for workers and improved understanding of care needs for family members. Each lesson will integrate expectations for the coordination of the strategies into daily work activities, heightening the likelihood of long-term retention and effectiveness.
