About CARES® Dementia Basics™

The CARES® Dementia Basics™ Online Training Program provides caregivers with the core or "basic" information needed for dementia care. It focuses on person-centered care, the changes that happen to thinking skills as dementia progresses, how those changes impact behavior, and how to understand behavior as communication. It also includes an entire module on the CARES® Approach, a person-centered, easy-to-remember approach to care for any person in any situation and at any level of dementia thinking decline.

The letters in CARES stand for: Connect with the Person, Assess Behavior, Respond Appropriately, Evaluate What Works, and Share with Others. Explore these and other topics through video, audio, and interactive exercises featuring real families, real caregivers, and real dementia-care experts (no actors).

This program has 4 modules (4 hours). The modules include:

1. Meet Clara Jones
2. Introduction to Dementia
3. Understanding Behavior as Communication
4. The CARES® Approach

CARES® was developed with the Alzheimer's Association, with input from a national team of experts. CARES content incorporates evidence-based strategies from the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations that have been supported by more than 30 leading health and senior care organizations. View and print a summary of academic research and national awards related to CARES® online training programs.

About Alzheimer's Association essentiALZ® Certification

HealthCare Interactive’s CARES® Dementia Basics™ is recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association® for successfully incorporating the evidence-based Dementia Care Practice Recommendations in the following topic areas: Alzheimer’s and dementia, person-centered care, assessment and care planning, activities of daily living, and behaviors and communication. Providers who purchase and train their staff with the HealthCare Interactive’s CARES® Dementia Basics™ are eligible to purchase the Alzheimer’s Association essentiALZ® certification.

*The Alzheimer’s Association statement of recognition is not an endorsement of the professional training or evaluation of the care provided by the organization. The statement is valid for two years from the date of issue.

Other Benefits

CARES Dementia Basics offers additional benefits such as:

1. Free CARES® Worksheets for each training module
2. Free continuing education self-submit packets for professional staff members
3. Cost-saving purchasing options for single sites
4. Flexible purchasing options for multi-location organizations

CARES Administrative Portal access

With any site license purchase, you will receive access to our CARES Administrative Portal to:

1. Manage training compliance.
2. Evaluate the individual progress of all staff members.
3. Run customized reports for any time period.
4. Download detailed documentation including employee name, module status, and date of program completion.
5. Print individual completion certificates for group training sessions.