On September 26, 2019, New Hampshire passed into law Dementia Training for Direct Care Staff in Residential Facilities and Community-Based Services (NH HB 4/NH ST § 151:47-52), and went into effect on January 1, 2020. The bill applies to residential facilities serving an adult population, including skilled care facilities, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities, residential care for the elderly, adult day programs, home health, in-home services, or adult family care homes or programs that advertise specialty memory care that have residents or program participants with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.
 
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The Bill notes that:
  • Facilities and programs are now required to provide initial training to all covered staff members hired on or after July 1, 2019, who shall complete initial training within 6 months of the start of employment. All covered staff members who were employed prior to the date and who have not received equivalent training shall complete initial training within 6 months of July 1, 2019.
  • For covered direct service staff members and covered administrative staff members, at a minimum, the curriculum used for the initial training shall adhere to the latest nationwide Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations and, at a minimum, cover the following topics:
(a) Alzheimer's disease and dementia;
(b) Person-centered care;
(c) Assessment and care planning;
(d) Activities of daily living; and
(e) Dementia-related behaviors and communication.​
  • ​"Covered administrative staff member" means the senior manager of the facility or program, including administrators, as well as managerial staff members that directly supervise covered direct service staff members.
  • "Covered direct service staff member" means a staff member whose work involves extensive contact with residents or program participants. Such staff members include: certified nursing assistants, nurse aides, personal care assistants, home health or personal care aides, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, social workers, activity directors, and dietary staff.
  • For other covered staff members, training shall include, at a minimum, communication issues related to dementia.
    • "Other covered staff member" means a staff member who has incidental contact on a recurring basis with residents or program participants, including housekeeping staff, front desk staff, maintenance staff, other administrative staff, and other individuals who have such incidental contact.
  • Initial dementia training shall be considered complete only after the staff member has taken and passed an evaluation.
  • The facility or staff shall issue a certificate to covered staff members upon completion of initial training, which shall be portable between settings. Provided that the covered staff member does not have a lapse of dementia related direct service or administration employment for 24 consecutive months or more, the covered staff member shall not be required to repeat the initial dementia training.
  • In addition to initial training, rules will be adopted to determine when and how often continuing education on dementia shall be required. Such continuing education shall include new information on best practices in the treatment and care of persons with dementia. The department of health and human services shall require at least a minimum of 6 hours of initial continuing education for covered administrative staff members and covered direct service staff members and shall require at least a minimum of 4 hours of ongoing training each calendar year.
  • Persons responsible for conducting in-person dementia trainings shall meet minimum criteria including: 2 years of work experience related to Alzheimer's disease or other dementias or in health care, gerontology, or other related field; and have completed training equivalent to the requirements noted above.

CPI Training Helps You Comply With This New Hampshire Bill

CPI offers training and resources to help facilities like yours meet legislative mandates like the policy requirements set forth in the New Hampsire regulations. Our Dementia Capable Care program covers all required training topics mentioned, including:
  • Evaluating risk of harm and signs of distress.
  • Documenting incidents.
  • Person-centered care.
  • Implementing evidence-based practices.
  • Taking abilities-focused approaches to interacting with those with dementia.

How to Get Training

We offer a variety of ways to attend Dementia Capable Care training. Request a consultation to find the best solution for your facility.