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The continuous learning needs of personal support workers who care for people living with dementia in long-term care
Grace Norris, Marie Y. Savundranayagam, Gail Teachman, Afshin Vafaei. Educational Gerontology, 2025-06-07
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Personal support workers (PSWs) in long-term care (LTC) homes provide the most care to people living with dementia, yet receive the least education compared to other healthcare professionals. Informed by adult learning theory, this study investigated PSW perspectives of their dementia-specific learning needs while working in LTC. Interpretive Description guided the secondary qualitative analysis of focus groups with ‘mid-career’ PSWs (n = 39) in LTC. Focus groups were conducted before, during, and after PSWs participated in a dementia-specific training program. Learning needs were attributed to limited preparation during formal PSW education and a lack of continuous education opportunities. The learning needs include understanding dementia, addressing responsive behaviors, person-centered communication and attitudes, and delirium. Learning needs are best met in supportive environments with experiential methods that involve peer learning, feedback, and evaluation. Successful outcomes of learning can be mediated through an openness to dementia education and a good teamwork culture. The study findings underscore the importance of ongoing dementia education tailored to the needs of PSWs, with implications for future training programs aimed at improving dementia care.
Key findings
- Personal support workers (PSWs) in long-term care (LTC) homes provide the most care to people living with dementia, yet receive the least education compared to other healthcare professionals.
Why it matters
This qualitative study of personal support workers in long-term care identified learning needs including understanding dementia, addressing responsive behaviours, person-centred communication and delirium. It is about education and training for care staff, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants39
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Educational Gerontology) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Educational Gerontology: journal h-index 86 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 39 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 4 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Afshin Vafaei: h-index 25 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Western University: institution h-index 899 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Norris, G., Savundranayagam, M. Y., Teachman, G., & Vafaei, A. (2025). The continuous learning needs of personal support workers who care for people living with dementia in long-term care. Educational Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2025.2515564
Vancouver
Norris G, Savundranayagam MY, Teachman G, Vafaei A. The continuous learning needs of personal support workers who care for people living with dementia in long-term care. Educational Gerontology. 2025. doi:10.1080/03601277.2025.2515564.
BibTeX
@article{norris2025-aeaf20fe,
author = {Norris, Grace and Savundranayagam, Marie Y. and Teachman, Gail and Vafaei, Afshin},
title = {{The continuous learning needs of personal support workers who care for people living with dementia in long-term care}},
journal = {Educational Gerontology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1080/03601277.2025.2515564},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2025.2515564}
}
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