Dementia Care Practice Recommendations
Committed to improving the quality of life for people living with dementia
Recommendations
Inform and influence dementia care standards, training, practice and policy in your care setting.
Since its inception, the Alzheimer's Association has been a leader in outlining principles and practices of quality care for individuals living with dementia. Early on, our Guidelines for Dignity described goals for quality care, followed by Key Elements of Dementia Care and the Dementia Care Practice Recommendations, as more evidence became available. In this new iteration, the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations outline recommendations for quality care practices based on a comprehensive review of current evidence, best practice and expert opinion.
The Dementia Care Practice Recommendations were developed to better define quality care across all care settings and throughout the disease course. They are intended for professional care providers who work with individuals living with dementia and their families in long-term and community-based care settings. The Practice Recommendations are published as a supplement to The Gerontologist.
Person-centered focus is the core of quality care
- Person-centered focus
- Assessment and care planning
- Medical management
- Information, education and support
- Dementia-related behaviors
- Activities of daily living
- Workforce
- Supportive and therapeutic environment
- Transition and coordination of services
- Detection and diagnosis
Quality care: What it means to people living with dementia
A Guide to Quality Care from the Perspectives of People Living with Dementia offers insights into how people living with dementia view quality care and what they want from care providers and caregivers.
Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations
Below are the 10 articles that cover the Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations (PDF). These articles are published in the Supplemental Issue of The Gerontologist. Each article provides more detail about the specific recommendations, as well as the evidence and expert opinion supporting them.- The Fundamentals of Person-Centered Care for Individuals With Dementia (PDF)
- Nonphysician Care Providers Can Help to Increase Detection of Cognitive Impairment and Encourage Diagnostic Evaluation for Dementia in Community and Residential Care Settings (PDF)
- Person-Centered Assessment and Care Planning (PDF)
- Ongoing Medical Management to Maximize Health and Well-being for Persons Living With Dementia (PDF)
- Meeting the Informational, Educational, and Psychosocial Support Needs of Persons Living With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers (PDF)
- Progressive Support for Activities of Daily Living for Persons Living With Dementia (PDF)
- Evidence-Based Nonpharmacological Practices to Address Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (PDF)
- Long-Term Care Workforce Issues: Practice Principles for Quality Dementia Care (PDF)
- From Research to Application: Supportive and Therapeutic Environments for People Living With Dementia (PDF)
- Evidence-Based Interventions for Transitions in Care for Individuals Living With Dementia (PDF)
- Improving Care Through Public Policy (PDF)
Deliver Quality Dementia Care in Your Care Setting
Grounded in the fundamentals of person-centered care, our evidence-based dementia care practice recommendations are applicable to various care settings across the disease continuum.
For reference: Past Recommendations
2005-2009 Dementia Care Practice Recommendations