National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) Announces Brenda Groves 2019 Educator of the Year!

SPARTA, N.J., April 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NCCDP announced that Brenda Groves was selected as the 2019 NCCDP CADDCT educator of the year. The NCCDP's Educator of the Year Award is recognized as one of the nation's most prestigious awards in the field of dementia education. The winner of this award has the proven ability to exceed state and federal regulations regarding dementia education. The CADDCT educator is an inspirational individual who engages students and instills in them a passion for their continued growth in the field of patient care. The NCCDP awards recognition program was created to recognize individuals whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet the challenges associated with providing up-to-date and comprehensive dementia education to health care professionals working in the health care field.

The NCCDP Educator of the Year Awards Program honors Certified Alzheimer's Disease Dementia Care Trainers (CADDCT) for their achievement's and hard work. Several hundred nominations are received annually from across the country for this prestigious award. The nominees are health care professionals, educators and clergy who work in nursing homes, long term care facilities, assisted living communities, retirement communities, hospice agencies, home care agencies, adult day cares, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric facilities, management and consulting companies, associations, government agencies, universities and CNA training schools

Brenda Groves is the Nursing Home Quality Improvement Consultant for the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC) working under the contract with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services as part of the QIN-QIO work to improve the quality of care and quality of life for Medicare Beneficiaries residing in long term care facilities across a four-state region. In her role, Brenda provides oversight, direction and support for the staff across the four states as well as providing technical assistance to the facilities administration. Through this work she seeks to promote appropriate dementia care through engagement of 75 percent of the nursing homes and their staff in these four states to reduce the use of inappropriate antipsychotics with the elderly and improve the state's CMS state ranking composite score.

Brenda recognized the value of live dementia education and the impact comprehensive dementia education has on front line staff to improve dementia appropriate care while decreasing incidences of abuse and neglect. Brenda sought NCCDP CADDCT trainer certification to provide the NCCDP comprehensive Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care curriculum to staff in an effort to decrease the rate of inappropriate antipsychotics used with the elderly residents residing in Kansas nursing homes.

Last year, Groves saw the need for additional training in South Dakota and created the I-90 Roadshow presenting the NCCDP Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care seminar over a 3-day period to over 300 health care professionals and frontline staff.

Groves was nominated by Libby Jones Director of Nursing at Highmore Health Care in Highmore, South Dakota. Jones stated, "Brenda's passion for training and her willingness to travel within her four-state radius has proven to reduce turnover in some centers and encouraged staff to be more engaged in their daily assessments."

NCCDP Executives Lynn Biot Gordon, Chief Operations Officer, and Rhonda Brand, President presented the award in person to Groves at a surprise presentation. Brenda stated, "The stars were aligned for her and her family." Lynn Biot Gordon stated, "NCCDP believes it is very important that awards be presented in person. We want the CADDCT educator of the year award recipient to know that we take this nationally recognized award seriously and that the winner is valued."

The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners was established in 2003 and has tens of thousands of members throughout the United States of America and many countries. The NCCDP provides Alzheimer's disease and Dementia Care education globally and issues dementia certifications to health care professionals and frontline staff. The NCCDP has many certifications: CDP Certified Dementia Practitioner, CADDCT Certified Alzheimer's Disease Dementia Care Trainer, CDCM Certified Dementia Care Manager (for dementia unit managers), CDSGF Certified Dementia Support Group Facilitator, CFRDT Certified First Responder Dementia Trainer, CPCHCP Certified Personal Care Home Care Professional, CCPDT Certified Correctional Personnel Dementia Trainer, and CDTCP Certified Dementia Trained Correctional Personnel. NCCDP also has credentialing for Home Care Agencies and Dementia Units within Assisted Living communities or nursing home facilities that exceed all state and federal regulations.  For information please see www.nccdp.org or contact NCCDP at [email protected].

SOURCE National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners