An Online Training Program to Reduce Antipsychotic Medication Use in Nursing Homes: The CARES Method

The objective of this Pragmatic Innovation article is to present a case study examining whether an online, asynchronous staff dementia care training program (CARES) was associated with reductions in the use of antipsychotic medications and improved staff perceptions in a New Mexico residential long-term care setting. Staff at Lakeview Christian nursing home began using the CARES Dementia 5-Step Method—Complete Catalog online training and certification program in 2019. The asynchronous, scalable CARES online dementia care modules were implemented successfully and sustained at Lakeview Christian as a core strategy to reduce antipsychotic medication use.