Development of the Knowledge of Dementia Competencies Self-Assessment Tool.

Competent dementia care requires caregivers with specialized knowledge and skills. The Knowledge of Dementia Competencies Self-Assessment Tool was developed to help direct care workers (DCWs) assess their knowledge of 7 dementia competencies identified by the Michigan Dementia Coalition. Item selection was guided by literature review and expert panel consultation. It was given to 159 DCWs and readministered to 57 DCWs in a range of long-term care settings and revised based on qualitative feedback and statistical item analyses, resulting in 82 items demonstrating good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Performance on items assessing competencies rated as most important was significantly related to training in these competencies. The DCWs in day care obtained higher scores than those in home care settings, and their sites reported a greater number of hours of dementia training. Validation in a more diverse group of DCWs and assessing its relationship to other measures of knowledge and skill is needed.

Direct observation of behavior: a review of current measures for use with older adults with dementia.

This review article reports on methods of direct observation of behaviors for use in long-term care settings, particularly with older adults who have dementia. This article provides information on the theoretical roots, administration methods, and psychometric properties of measures of direct observation of individual behavior. It is hoped that this review will help gerontological nurses make informed choices about the direct observation measures that suit their specific needs, highlight the role of direct observation in quality improvement for dementia care, and facilitate a balance between identifying a gold standard and allowing flexibility to assess project-specific behaviors.