LIFELONG LEARNING
webinar addressing this issue. In addition, there are continuing education classes to help professionals refresh on core topics ad- dressed in the initial training. Votto says no matter what the certification is, it can play an im-
portant role in companies demonstrating their staff is well-trained and have the qualifications needed to succeed. “In my view, you have to certify staff in what you think is im-
portant from day-to-day operations, and then find the certification that teaches and measures what you think is important, and has implications for your brand,” he said. “I like to say certifications should represent who you are, and not just who you want the public to believe you are.” For Courtney L. Doheny, COSM, CMSH, CFS, MORS,
FHS, executive director at Lutheran Manor of the Lehigh Valley, Inc., the CMSH shows that she is up to the challenging task of overseeing the operations of a multi-housing community of 162 apartments that caters to residents 62 and older, as well as people living with mobility impairments. And she says people notice. “I get compliments all the time, like when I send emails or give
out my business card and people see all the certifications by my name. A lot of times they ask me, “Can you tell me what these are for?” and I’ll explain my certifications to them,” Doheny said.” But it’s not just the compliments that made earning the Certi-
fied Manager of Senior Housing credential worthwhile. Doheny found the training enjoyable and realistic. “I’ve always found the trainings from the National Center
for Housing Management to be very valuable. I have multiple certifications from NCHM and I find that their trainings are fun. They're very well-prepared and the content is realistic and you can relate to it,” she said. “With the training specifically for senior housing, I didn't even hesitate as soon as I saw it was available. That was one course that I definitely wanted to take.” In addition, Doheny says she left the training with numerous
pointers she’s been able to incorporate into her work. “I think a lot of the content taught me different techniques and
skills and concepts that I can use on a daily basis,” said Doheny. “One of the great things about their classes are they do some role playing, and so many times they'll have an example of a real- life situation and managers act out how you would handle it. It was very interesting to see different people’s techniques and that definitely helps you in your day-to-day management of a building. You leave there with some real-life skills.”
essentialALZ The essentialALZ®
- Alzheimer’s Association Training and
Certification is the culmination of the work 27 researchers did over 18 months to come up with updated dementia care practice recommendations across multiple topic areas. Since the organi- zation stresses the importance of having a trained workforce, in November 2020, the Alzheimer’s Association began offering an online training program and certification that would help workers master its updated best practice principles. “We thought that the certification piece was really important, not
only to be able to train people in these evidence-based practices, but also have an exam that tested them on their knowledge. And then
16 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JULY/AUGUST 2022 And the program is not only designed so people actually taking
the exam can get a positive outcome: Although some customers may only require that their caregivers earn the credential, the Alzheimer’s Association training is created for everyone working in a senior living company to learn how to provide patient-centered care. “We know that everybody in the building interacts with residents
all day long, so we made sure that this training really is appropriate for everyone working in the building,” explained Pace. “And that goes from the administrator to the leadership to the dining staff to the housekeeping staff. We would encourage companies to train everyone in their building.” And that’s exactly what Michelle Minor, vice president of engage-
ment and program services at Sunrise Senior Living, does. Although employees on the managerial level take the training to receive a certification, everyone at Sunrise participates to become familiar with the best practices set forth by the Alzheimer’s Association. “We have a pretty robust, evidence-based memory care pro-
gram and I think that getting the essentialALZ certification shows the team, and the outside community, we meet a standard of
“I require all my executive directors to get a CDAL because I think it’s a very good certification.”
— Tighe Hammam
once they passed the exam to give them that certification to show the recognition for that,” said Doug Pace, senior director of Long-Term and Community-Based Care at the Alzheimer’s Association. And this recognition is well-earned by those who go through
the training process. Through this rigorous program, professionals are taught five modules of material: Basics of Alzheimer’s and Dementia, Person-Centered Care, Assessment and Care Plan- ning, Activities of Daily Living, and Communication Changes and Dementia-Related Behavior. However, the association also offers the flexibility for customers to submit their own training cur- riculum for review so it can be used toward employee certification. During this review process, the Alzheimer’s Association works with customers to ensure that the five content areas of essentialALZ training are represented in their customized programs, so everyone who takes the certification test is on equal footing. “It’s not a painful process. We have a staff that goes through
these requests, and then in the areas that need improvement, typically we have topic sheets that give them the suggested lan- guage or the suggested ways they can make sure they’re using it appropriately,” Pace said. “It’s not one of those situations where we just say, ‘No, your training’s wrong. Here’s where it’s wrong and fix it.’ We actually help them through the process to make sure everyone has a positive outcome.”
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