Hospice care, traditionally focused on cancer patients, now serves a growing number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Nearly half of hospice patients have dementia, yet the hospice workforce remains underprepared to meet their unique needs, such as managing behavioral symptoms, communicating with families, and aligning care with patient goals. While evidence-based dementia education programs for hospice clinicians exist, little is known about how these programs are implemented across organizations or which training components are most effective. 

This project, leveraging data from the NIH-funded HEARD study, will examine dementia-specific education and training in hospice settings to identify best practices, training gaps, and organizational factors that impact implementation. Findings will inform workforce development initiatives and provide recommendations for improving the quality of care for hospice patients with dementia.