CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE - Dementia-Friendly Workforce Education in Rural Communities - Abstract

Sep 28, 2026

Workforce shortages restrict access to quality dementia care in rural communities, especially across Texas. Nearly all Texas counties are designated rural health areas and primary care professional shortage areas, limiting dementia-ready geriatric services. A Health Resources and Services Administration–funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program created collaborative education and training for rural teams. Partners used an Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework, tele-education, experiential and interprofessional activities, and advisory input from older adults and caregivers. Early feedback indicated increased trainee knowledge, confidence, and dementia-care attitudes, strengthening links to needed social supports.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background and need

Collaborative program design

Education and training approach

Tele-education and interprofessional learning

Implementation and preliminary outcomes

Feedback and continuing goals

182 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Center-Fort Worth, TX, Fort Worth, Texas, United States, 2. University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States Limited access to quality dementia care due to workforce challenges is a critical issue, especially in rural communities. Ninety percent of Texas counties are Rural Health areas and 93% are designated as Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. To increase knowledge about dementia in the geriatric care workforce, a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program in Texas designed collaborative education and training programs aimed towards rural communities. Using a multipronged strategy to engage primary care and long-term care teams across the state, interdisciplinary faculty and community and health care partners combined critical resources to develop and enhance curricula in geriatric best practices using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework. Partners developed an infrastructure to reach rural and underserved communities using learning technologies, social media platforms, and community health educators. An advisory board of older adults and caregivers was assembled to inform curricula development. In the first implementation year, partners incorporated tele-education technologies, experiential learning, and interprofessional activities into learning activities and clinical training environments for health professions students (n=69), primary care residents (n=48), healthcare practitioners (n=146), and community educators (n =125). Preliminary trainee feedback demonstrates improved knowledge, confidence and attitudes in providing dementia care and connecting older adults and caregivers to needed social supports. This model of collaboration continues with a goal to further enhance training models, expand organizational capacity to respond to community needs, improve health care for older adults and their caregivers, and build bridges between community and clinical settings. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.606 CROSS-SECTOR COLLABORATION TO ADVANCE DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY WORKFORCE EDUCATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES Jennifer Severance1, Janice Knebl2, Sara Murphy2, and Sarah Ross2, 1. University of North Texas Health Science

FAQs

Why is dementia care access limited in rural communities?

Workforce challenges limit access to quality dementia care, with Texas counties largely designated as rural health areas and primary care professional shortage areas.

What framework and strategy guided the training program?

The program used the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms framework and a multipronged approach to engage primary care and long-term care teams.

What kinds of training activities were added during the first implementation year?

Partners incorporated tele-education technologies, experiential learning, and interprofessional activities into learning and clinical training environments.

What outcomes were reported from trainee feedback?

Preliminary feedback showed improved knowledge, confidence, and attitudes for providing dementia care and connecting older adults and caregivers to social supports.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway