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The dementia care workforce: Essential to care but large research gaps exist
Jasmine L. Travers, Jennifer M. Reckrey, Bianca K. Frogner, David C. Grabowski, Joanne Spetz. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
People living with dementia and their care partners benefit from services and supports from a wide variety of healthcare and social service professionals. This article provides an overview of the dementia care workforce and highlights gaps and opportunities for data collection and research to advance the workforce and its contributions to high-quality care. The authors provide an analysis of literature, trends, research gaps, and research opportunities, drawing from the literature and their own research. There are notable gaps in our ability to track career pathways, assess the impact of training, identify best practices for recruitment and retention, and understand attributes of the workforce that may affect the quality of both workers' lives and the care they provide to people living with dementia. There are many opportunities for new research to help direct care workers meaningfully contribute to the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their care partners. HIGHLIGHTS: The dementia care workforce works in multiple settings and includes many occupations. There are gaps in knowledge regarding the workforce and its role in high-quality care. Evaluation research is needed to improve direct care worker recruitment, retention, and knowledge. Research on caregiving teams including direct care workers, other workers, and families is needed.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Travers, J. L., Reckrey, J. M., Frogner, B. K., Grabowski, D. C., & Spetz, J. (2025). The dementia care workforce: Essential to care but large research gaps exist. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70269
Vancouver
Travers JL, Reckrey JM, Frogner BK, Grabowski DC, Spetz J. The dementia care workforce: Essential to care but large research gaps exist. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70269. PMID: 40371672.
BibTeX
@article{travers2025-40371672,
author = {Travers, Jasmine L. and Reckrey, Jennifer M. and Frogner, Bianca K. and Grabowski, David C. and Spetz, Joanne},
title = {{The dementia care workforce: Essential to care but large research gaps exist}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70269},
pmid = {40371672},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70269}
}
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.
Key findings
- There are many opportunities for new research to help direct care workers meaningfully contribute to the health and well-being of people living with dementia and their care partners.
- HIGHLIGHTS: The dementia care workforce works in multiple settings and includes many occupations.
- There are gaps in knowledge regarding the workforce and its role in high-quality care.
- Evaluation research is needed to improve direct care worker recruitment, retention, and knowledge.
- Research on caregiving teams including direct care workers, other workers, and families is needed.
Why it matters
This article describes the dementia care workforce and identifies large gaps in tracking career pathways, assessing training impact, and understanding recruitment and retention. It calls for evaluation research but does not test any workforce intervention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (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 | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 16 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 19.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Joanne Spetz: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40371672) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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