Focus on dementia

This report evaluates a further training course designed by the Danish School of Public Administration. The course was offered to local government employees performing statutory preventive home care visits to the elderly above 75 years of age. The purpose of the course was to equip the employees to detect symptoms of dementia early on. The evaluation by SFI - The National Centre for Social Research indicates that the course participants found that their professional competencies had been enhanced. The majority of the course participants believe they have now become better at detecting symptoms of dementia and referring the elderly to further examinations and that they have gained new and relevant expertise about diagnosing and communicating with people, including how to use special tools such as dialogue and contact guides. The report was commissioned by the National Board of Social Services and is based on two questionnaire surveys among 192 course participants, as well as two focus-group interviews with a representative section of the course participants.