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The University of Washington’s School of Nursing and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center , through ground-breaking programs like Staff Training in Assisted Living Residences (STAR), is helping to improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers.
STAR, a program developed by Dr. Linda Teri, professor of psychosocial and community health, and colleagues at the NorthWest Research Group on Aging in the School of Nursing helps staff of assisted-living facilities better understand how to provide care for older adults with dementia. It is the first study to look at whether staff training at assisted-living facilities can reduce depression and anxiety in people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
STAR Increases Understanding
STAR training aims to increase staff understanding of what residents with dementia are experiencing, and help staff members adopt problem-solving strategies they can use in their daily interactions with residents. STAR training shows staff how to introduce happy, pleasant events into residents’ daily lives and emphasizes dignity and respect for residences. It also facilitates stronger staff teams and improved communication between staff and residents’ families.
“We’ve conducted this program in assisted living residences throughout the greater Seattle area. Looking at data collected as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial, findings show that residents and staff are benefiting from STAR The program is improving residents’ moods and the staff’s satisfaction with their jobs, which are major components of what we were hoping to achieve,” says Teri, a principal investigator of the study. Teri teaches at the School of Nursing , the country’s highest-rated nursing school according to U.S. News & World Report .
STAR Success Stories
Teri and her colleagues developed and tested the STAR program in seven assisted-living facilities in Seattle , comparing outcomes for residents who received care from STAR-trained staff members with a control group. The trial found that s eniors living in residences where staff has received STAR training were less distressed and had fewer behavioral problems than residents where staff had not been trained. Also, staff caregivers who received STAR training felt more job satisfaction than those who had not.
STAR is the first program ever developed specifically for persons with Alzheimer’s disease residing in assisted living settings. Programs like STAR are becoming more crucial as Alzheimer’s becomes a bigger problem in this country. Alzheimer's disease currently strikes an estimated 4.2 million to 5.8 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. It is projected that the number of Americans with the disease could reach 16 million by mid-century.
To further test and refine the STAR training program, Teri and her colleagues have undertaken a larger, multi-site study in Washington, Illinois and Arkansas to evaluate STAR’s effectiveness.
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