Communication and training interventions to improve dementia care in daycare centers: a best practice implementation project

Objectives: This evidence implementation project aimed to enhance communication practices in dementia care by assessing staff adherence to evidence-based criteria, identifying barriers and facilitators to best practices, and evaluating the effectiveness of tailored training strategies. Methods: Using the JBI Model of Evidence-Based Health care and its seven-phase implementation framework, a baseline audit was conducted in three community dementia daycare centers in Yilan County, Taiwan. Thirty staff members and 80 dementia care records were evaluated against six JBI-derived best practice criteria. Following a gap analysis, a multimodal dementia communication training program was implemented using the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) tools. A follow-up audit was conducted 8 months later, involving 15 staff members and 40 records. Results: Baseline concordance with best practices was low, with two criteria scoring 0%. Post-implementation, compliance markedly improved: four criteria exceeded 80%, and two (structured staff training and multimodal approaches) reached 100%. Staff demonstrated enhanced ability to identify communication difficulties, utilize validated tools such as the Holden Communication Scale and Mini-Mental State Examination, and document care communication plans. Conclusion: Embedding structured training, validated assessment tools, and family engagement strategies substantially improved staff competence and adherence to evidence-based dementia communication standards. This project underscores the effectiveness of structured evidence implementation and ongoing audit-feedback mechanisms in promoting sustainable, person-centered dementia care. Spanish abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A644