UNC School of Medicine Initiative Providing Special Care to Persons With Dementia

The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine's Dementia Friendly Hospital Initiative will employ 3,900 workers in four state hospitals to raise awareness of the care experience for persons with dementia, reports EurekAlert . The program will provide dementia-friendly training to certain UNC Health Care system hospitals and could service nearly 5,500 seniors annually. The effort focuses on the complete cycle of recipient and family interactions that occur during hospitalization. All personnel who engage in any way with persons with dementia will receive training in approaches for improving quality and safety. The program also aims to reduce rates for in-hospital injuries, length of stay, and 30-day readmissions. "The . . . Initiative moves beyond a provider-centric focus to involve the whole hospital in connecting effectively with people with dementia and making them feel safe and well cared for," concluded UNC School of Medicine's Jan Busby-Whitehead.