The Best Friends Staff: Learning to Deliver Exceptional Dementia Care

This updated edition of the bestselling book addresses today’s intense pressures in staffing and retention. It shows vividly how the Best Friends™ approach to dementia care improves quality of life not only for persons with memory loss but also for the staff providing care. Give the staff the skills and satisfaction to keep them on the job. Includes: Stories from successful dementia programs, chapter-by-chapter toolkits of training techniques and learning exercises, ways to support and retain staff, and actionable ideas to improve the care culture.

Virginia Bell has lectured widely on Alzheimer's disease at national and international conferences, speaking at 12 National Education Conferences of the Alzheimer's Association and lecturing at 18 conferences of Alzheimer's Disease International. Sheâ??s published journal articles and books, notably in Dementia Care: Patient, Family and Community (John Hopkins, 1989). Many of her articles have been reprinted numerous times: "The Alzheimer's Disease Bill of Rights" (1994), "The other Face of Alzheimer's Disease" (1999) and "Spirituality and the Person with Dementia" (2001), co-authored with David Troxel and published in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and in the Alzheimer's Care Quarterly. She has also co-authored five books with David Troxel. Virginia is currently the Program Consultant for the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

David Troxel is an internationally known expert in Alzheimerâ??s and memory care. Heâ??s best known for his work with residents and families, and is an informative and engaging speaker. David holds a Masters Degree in Public Health from Rutgers Medical School. During the 25 years that heâ??s worked in the field, heâ??s also served as an Executive Board member of the American Public Health Association and the Ethics Advisory Panel for the US National Alzheimerâ??s Association. David has co-authored four influential books (most notably, The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimerâ??s Care) on Alzheimerâ??s relating to the disease care as well as staff development and training. Davidâ??s â??Best Friends Approachâ? is built on a seemingly simple premise: that what people living with memory loss need most is a friend â?? a best friend. David teaches caregivers how to understand and fulfill this â??Best Friendsâ? role, including special caregiving techniques and tools. He lives in Sacramento as a writer, speaker and consultant.

Tonya M. Cox, M.S.W., is Vice President of Education and Programs for the Alzheimer's Association serving greater Kentucky and southern Indiana. She began working in dementia care in 1995 in the Helping Hand Adult Day Program developing and leading activities for persons with memory loss. She also teaches and presents on activity programming and caring for persons with dementia.