Overview: Abilities Care Experts™ (ACE™) is an educational training program for nursing staff who care for individuals with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objective of the program is to provide the nursing staff with knowledge, and methods to engage residents’ remaining abilities in order to maximize occupational participation using a stage-specific dementia care approach. ACE™ training has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness in a controlled study design.
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACE™ training.
Design: The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design.
Participants: A total of 29 CNAs, 13 ACE™ trained and 16 non-ACE™ trained, from two Ensign SNFs.
Measurements: Participants completed a survey battery measuring key factors associated with quality of care: 1) knowledge 2) attitudes 3) self-efficacy and 4) job satisfaction.
Results: Compared to non-ACE™ trained participants, ACE™ trained participants scored higher on each outcome measure. ACE™ participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-perception of dementia knowledge (t (27) =3.44, p=.002), knowledge of dementia care approaches (t (26) =3.57, p=.001), and self-efficacy (t (25) =2.40, p=.024).
Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that ACE™ can improve key factors associated with quality of care.
","abstract_html":"<p>Overview: Abilities Care Experts™ (ACE™) is an educational training program for nursing staff who care for individuals with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objective of the program is to provide the nursing staff with knowledge, and methods to engage residents’ remaining abilities in order to maximize occupational participation using a stage-specific dementia care approach. ACE™ training has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness in a controlled study design.</p> <p>Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACE™ training.</p> <p>Design: The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design.</p> <p>Participants: A total of 29 CNAs, 13 ACE™ trained and 16 non-ACE™ trained, from two Ensign SNFs.</p> <p>Measurements: Participants completed a survey battery measuring key factors associated with quality of care: 1) knowledge 2) attitudes 3) self-efficacy and 4) job satisfaction.</p> <p>Results: Compared to non-ACE™ trained participants, ACE™ trained participants scored higher on each outcome measure. ACE™ participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-perception of dementia knowledge (t (27) =3.44, p=.002), knowledge of dementia care approaches (t (26) =3.57, p=.001), and self-efficacy (t (25) =2.40, p=.024).</p> <p>Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that ACE™ can improve key factors associated with quality of care.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Joaquin, Carmen","D'Amato, Michelle","Perez, April","Villarina, Louiza Alexandria","Miller, Sophie E."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master's of Occupational Therapy","degree_level":"Master's Thesis","degree_discipline":"Occupational Therapy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Susan Morris, PhD, OTR/L","Gina Tucker-Roghi, OTD, OTR/L"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:04:44Z","subjects":["Dementia","certified nursing assistants","Abilities Care Experts","dementia training program","skilled nursing facility","quality care","Geriatric Nursing","Geriatrics","Interprofessional Education","Occupational Therapy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/297","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Susan Morris, PhD, OTR/L","Gina Tucker-Roghi, OTD, OTR/L"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Joaquin, Carmen","D'Amato, Michelle","Perez, April","Villarina, Louiza Alexandria","Miller, Sophie E."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-11T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Occupational Therapy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master's of Occupational Therapy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dementia","certified nursing assistants","Abilities Care Experts","dementia training program","skilled nursing facility","quality care","Geriatric Nursing","Geriatrics","Interprofessional Education","Occupational Therapy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/297"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Overview: Abilities Care Experts™ (ACE™) is an educational training program for nursing staff who care for individuals with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objective of the program is to provide the nursing staff with knowledge, and methods to engage residents’ remaining abilities in order to maximize occupational participation using a stage-specific dementia care approach. ACE™ training has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness in a controlled study design.
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACE™ training.
Design: The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design.
Participants: A total of 29 CNAs, 13 ACE™ trained and 16 non-ACE™ trained, from two Ensign SNFs.
Measurements: Participants completed a survey battery measuring key factors associated with quality of care: 1) knowledge 2) attitudes 3) self-efficacy and 4) job satisfaction.
Results: Compared to non-ACE™ trained participants, ACE™ trained participants scored higher on each outcome measure. ACE™ participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-perception of dementia knowledge (t (27) =3.44, p=.002), knowledge of dementia care approaches (t (26) =3.57, p=.001), and self-efficacy (t (25) =2.40, p=.024).
Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that ACE™ can improve key factors associated with quality of care.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Formal Dementia Care Training Program: Abilities Care Experts™"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Susan Morris, PhD, OTR/L","Gina Tucker-Roghi, OTD, OTR/L"],"dc:creator":["Joaquin, Carmen","D'Amato, Michelle","Perez, April","Villarina, Louiza Alexandria","Miller, Sophie E."],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-11T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Overview: Abilities Care Experts™ (ACE™) is an educational training program for nursing staff who care for individuals with dementia in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The objective of the program is to provide the nursing staff with knowledge, and methods to engage residents’ remaining abilities in order to maximize occupational participation using a stage-specific dementia care approach. ACE™ training has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness in a controlled study design.
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACE™ training.
Design: The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, quasi-experimental design.
Participants: A total of 29 CNAs, 13 ACE™ trained and 16 non-ACE™ trained, from two Ensign SNFs.
Measurements: Participants completed a survey battery measuring key factors associated with quality of care: 1) knowledge 2) attitudes 3) self-efficacy and 4) job satisfaction.
Results: Compared to non-ACE™ trained participants, ACE™ trained participants scored higher on each outcome measure. ACE™ participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-perception of dementia knowledge (t (27) =3.44, p=.002), knowledge of dementia care approaches (t (26) =3.57, p=.001), and self-efficacy (t (25) =2.40, p=.024).
Conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that ACE™ can improve key factors associated with quality of care.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/297"],"dc:subject":["Dementia","certified nursing assistants","Abilities Care Experts","dementia training program","skilled nursing facility","quality care","Geriatric Nursing","Geriatrics","Interprofessional Education","Occupational Therapy"],"dc:title":["Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Formal Dementia Care Training Program: Abilities Care Experts™"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Occupational Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master's of Occupational Therapy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:04:44Z"}