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More than 90,800 Coloradans are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s disease. See the Alzheimer's Fact Sheet for Colorado.
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Health professionals report feeling unprepared to care for those with dementia. Health students receive minimal training.*
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The result is stress, frustration, and turnover that compromises staff and those living with dementia.
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Training in effective dementia care approaches promotes positive provider/receiver interactions and improves health outcomes for all.
THE PROGRAM
Compassionate Care Dementia Training provides easy to learn, evidence-based approaches to build empathy and skills for positive care-giver and care-recipient interactions.
The curriculum focuses on building empathy and understanding of unique needs, disabilities and strengths of people living with dementia, paired with specialized approaches for communication and positive provider/patient interactions.
The Compassionate Care Training Program is offered through Centennial AHEC serving 12 counties in NE Colorado.
CE credits available.
To schedule a dementia education experience contact:
Wendy Abbott
MA, CDP,VDT®,SPECAL®
Compassionate Care Training Specialist
970.214.6896
wendy@cahec.org
THE NEED
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Colorado requires 4-hours of dementia training for direct care staff employed with residential care, skilled nursing and adult day centers.
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Half of primary care physicians report feeling unprepared to care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.*
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Research shows person-centered care approaches increase dementia care competency and reduce stress.
*Alzheimer’s Association, 2024 & 2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures reports
Who is this for?
The Compassionate Care Dementia Training program can be tailored to a variety of healthcare professionals and students, and other professionals serving older adults. Contact us for details.
Testimonials
Curriculum
[ CE Credits Available ]
flexible | interactive | experiential | in-person | live on-line
Curriculum incorporates proven, evidence-based programs including:
The highly effective person-centered, relationship-based SPECAL® Method – an easy to learn care approach that promotes wellbeing for people living with dementia and their care partners. Originating in the UK, the program is disseminated through Dementia Together, the SPECAL® Method Center for Excellence for North America.
The Virtual Dementia Tour®(VDT), which is an immersive experience that quickly builds empathy and understanding of what it might feel like to be living with dementia.
The Compassionate Care Dementia Training program is also made possible through initiatives and educational programs provided through the Alzheimer’s Association and the Eden Alternative.
Self-study courses from The Eden Alternative for Colorado Area Health Education Centers are now available for a limited time free of charge. CE Credits are available for these courses. Access Courses Here.
Dementia Resources
We have a comprehensive list of alzheimers and dementia websites, webinars, and research available on our resource portal here.
This work made possible in 2025 through the generous support of:
Want to help make a positive impact for patients living with dementia and their healthcare providers?
If your company or foundation is interested in investing in this work, please contact Melissa at 970.330.3608.
Help us grow this program with a gift!
While we will be rolling out the training in late 2024 to healthcare students in the four community colleges and two universities as well as all medical providers throughout our 12-county region, we are hoping to hire another CCI trainer (bilingual) to ensure sustainability of the program and to be able to offer the training in Spanish.
Training for the specialist takes a full year to complete and we need the funding to support this position as well as to keep the training free for healthcare students.