Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Training

Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes requires that anyone who provides the additional training on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in licensed care settings must:

• Obtain approval from the Department of Elder Affairs, and
• Use training materials (curriculum) that have been approved for each care setting.

This process ensures that ADRD training throughout Florida is consistent, accurate, and aligned with state standards.

Important Notes and Reminders

• Trainer approvals do not expire. 
• Curriculum approvals expire 3 years from the approval date. 
• Any curriculum approved before July 1, 2023, will remain valid until its original expiration date. 
• Provide a copy of your trainer approval letter and curriculum approval letter to every agency where you deliver training.
• If you are using someone else’s approved curriculum, you must obtain a copy of their approval letter and maintain it in your records. 
• Trainers must follow the content and structure of the approved curriculum exactly as approved. 

Certificates of Completion

Approved trainers are responsible for issuing a certificate of completion to each training participant. The certificate must include:

•  Name of the training program 
•  Number of training hours 
•  Curriculum approval number and expiration date 
•  Trainee’s full name 
•  Date and location of the training 
•  Trainer’s printed name, signature, date, and trainer approval number

Please be advised that the Department reserves the right to amend or adopt new rules related to the establishment of training curricula guidelines and requirements for the approval of other qualified training providers. The following answers are based on current best practices. 

Required Training Questions

Who is required to complete the initial one-hour training?

Any employee or volunteer required to undergo a level-2 background screening, and who provides personal care to or has regular contact with persons living with dementia. Examples of this contact include but are not limited to daily interaction, assistance with medications or other activities of daily living, and any services that promote the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of participants or residents. 

Are volunteers or contractors required to complete the one-hour training program?

Yes. Volunteers or contractors who are required to undergo a level 2 background screening, and who provide personal care to or have regular contact with persons living with dementia must complete the initial one-hour training and then additional training in accordance with their care setting. 

Examples of this contact include, but are not limited to, daily interaction, assistance with medications or other activities of daily living, and any services that promote the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of participants or residents. 

Can a different one-hour training program be used to satisfy the initial training requirement other than the video offered through the Department?

No. Per 430.5025 F.A.C., the initial one hour of training must come from the Department of Elder Affairs. No other curricula may be used to satisfy this new requirement. 

Hospice agencies, which were unaffected by the new statute, should continue to develop and use their own one-hour material. Use of the Department-specific one-hour training video is not a requirement for hospice agencies. 

Do employees who have previously completed dementia-related training still need to complete the Department’s one-hour training video?

Yes. Employees hired prior to July 1, 2023, will have until July 1, 2026, to complete the Department’s one-hour training video. All employees hired after July 1, 2023, will have 30 days from their hire date to complete the one-hour training. 

Does an employee need to retake the required ADRD training if they change employers?

This is dependent on which care setting the employee originally received training for, and what their new care setting will be. Please use this chart here to verify whether previous ADRD training satisfies the requirements for the employee’s new care setting or if they must undergo additional training. 

What is the difference between “having regular contact with” and “providing personal care to” persons living with dementia?

Personal care means providing assistance with activities of daily living, assistance with self-administration of medication, homemaker or companion services, nursing services, or other services that promote the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of participants or residents. 

Regular contact means the performance of duties other than personal care that may require employees to interact in-person on a daily basis with participants or residents. 

Do employers need to create their own basic written information document, or is there one available through the Department?

Each care setting must provide all new employees with basic written information about interacting with persons living with dementia upon beginning employment. Employers may develop their own content if desired, but the Department has developed content available at no cost available for download here. 

Who is required to complete continuing education?

Continuing education for ADRD is required for employees of assisted living facilities, adult day cares, and adult family care homes that offer specialized care (e.g., memory care). The employee must complete at least four hours of continuing education each calendar year through contact hours, on-the-job training, or electronic learning technology. More information on continuing education can be found in the full statute here. The Department does not oversee the approval of continuing education. 

Training Provider Questions 

Are trainers and curricula that were previously approved by the University of South Florida still approved under this legislation?

Yes. Trainers and curricula approved prior to the effective date (July 1, 2023) are still valid. At this time, ADRD trainer approvals do not expire, and training curricula remain valid until their given expiration date (three years from their initial approval date). 

How do I become an approved training provider for the State of Florida?

Complete and submit the online application for the particular care setting you wish to provide trainings for here and upload all required documentation of your credentials and experience. 

Is there a training provider application fee?

No, there are no costs associated with the training provider application. 

How long does the approval process take?

The review process is typically within 30 days from the date a submission is received. However, the Department may take additional time to review an application if unexpected circumstances warrant a longer review process. 

Can I become an approved training provider without a master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or RN license?

At this time, individuals may be eligible to use years of teaching experience as an educator for caregivers of persons with ADRD to substitute on a year-by-year basis for the bachelor’s degree. You must be able to provide verifiable proof of this experience. 

As an approved training provider, in which care settings can I conduct training?

You may only conduct training for the care setting in which you have been granted approval. If you wish to provide training for multiple care settings, please submit an application for each setting. 

Curriculum Questions 

Are trainers and curricula that were previously approved by the University of South Florida still approved under this legislation?

Yes. Trainers and curricula approved prior to the effective date (July 1, 2023) are still valid. At this time, ADRD trainer approvals do not expire, and training curricula remain valid until their given expiration date (three years from their initial approval date). 

My curriculum was originally approved as a four-hour training prior to the effective date (July 1, 2023). The statute now only requires a three-hour training for my care setting. Can I still use this material?

Yes. Curricula approved prior to the effective date are still valid and do not need to be updated or adjusted. If you want to condense the training from a four-hour timeline to a three-hour timeline, then you may do so. However, all content must be taught exactly as it was approved, and no content may be left out. It is the training provider’s responsibility to ensure all content is covered according to each care setting’s associated rule. 

Where can I find an approved curriculum that satisfies the ADRD training requirements for my care setting?

A list of approved curricula with contact information for the creators may be accessed here. It is up to you to make contact with the creators to determine who is offering their curriculum for purchase and at what cost. 

How do I submit my own curriculum for approval?

Complete and submit the online application for the particular care setting you wish to create content for here and upload all required documentation. 

Is there a curriculum application fee?

No, there are no costs associated with the curriculum application. 

How long does the approval process take?

Upon receipt, the curriculum will be forwarded to a subject matter expert for content review. The review process is typically within 30 days from the date a submission is received. However, the Department may take additional time to review an application if unexpected circumstances warrant a longer review process. 

Once the curriculum has been reviewed by a subject matter expert, the applicant will be given an approval letter or sent a More Information Needed request should the reviewer determine irregularities of any kind. The following are examples of irregularities: misinformation, incomplete information, out of date information etc. 

Are there special requirements for self-study or online curriculum?

Yes. These types of curricula must have a post-test and provide the name of an approved training provider with whom the trainee may engage with questions. The trainer’s name, approval number, hours, and method of contact must be included. 

Online curricula must provide a full transcription of the course or screen shots of the material. If available, a link to view the training should be provided, along with a log-on and password for review of functionality and organization of the material. This version of the curriculum must allow the reviewer to advance forward and backward. 

What about copyright material?

It is the responsibility of the curriculum developer to ensure that no copyright laws have been violated if material from another source is used as part of the curriculum. 

Are pre- and post-tests required?

At this time, only online curricula are required to have post-tests. However, it is always highly recommended to measure the transfer of knowledge. 

Does my curriculum have to meet a specific time standard?

Yes. To gain approval, you must provide a timeline of how the required content will be taught within the designated time requirement mandated for your specific care setting. Your content is allowed to be longer than what is required of your care setting; however, it may not be any shorter than what is mandated in F.A.C. 430.5025. 

Can breaks, pre- and post-tests, discussion sessions, or evaluations be included as part of the total time required for the curricula?

Break times cannot be included. 

Pre- and post-tests may be included but should not exceed 5 percent of the total instruction time. 

Discussion sessions may be included.  Pre-planned questions along with their expected answers should be submitted for review. 

Content review may be included and should be within the same 5 percent of total instructional time that is used for pre- and post-tests. 

Satisfaction questionnaires that focus on evaluating the trainees’ opinions on the content, style, environment, etc., of the training cannot be included.  

Once my curriculum is approved, in which care settings can it be used?

You may only use your curriculum for the care setting in which you have been granted approval. If you wish to develop curricula for multiple care settings, please submit an application for each setting. 

General Questions 

I received approval as a training provider and/or for my curriculum, but I don’t see myself listed on your website.

If you have not kept your contact information current, then we have removed you from our public listing. If you need to update your contact information, please email ADRDtraining@elderaffairs.org. This list is updated on a weekly basis, so please allow up to seven calendar days for any requested changes to be reflected.

Curricula expire every three years from their given approval date and are removed upon their expiration. This is to keep the public listing of curricula representative of what is currently approved and in-use. 

I still have additional questions that were not answered here.

Please email your questions to ADRDtraining@elderaffairs.org. It is also advised to periodically check back to see what updates, if any, have been made to the FAQ listing.