Panel hears calls for mandatory dementia training for homemaker and companion agency staff

Supporters of House Bill 5143 told the committee that mandatory dementia training for homemaker and companion agency staff would improve safety and quality for people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

"This homemaker companion training is a necessary bridge to essential caregiving knowledge," said Karen Carty, an advocate and community educator with the Connecticut Alzheimer's Association, who described being unprepared to de‑escalate behaviors when her grandmother lived with dementia.

Witnesses gave examples of harm they linked to inadequate training: missed nutrition needs, unsafe food handling, and instances caregivers left vulnerable clients unattended. Maureen McIntyre of the Atwood Dementia Group said the task force that studied the issue recommended a minimum of 10 hours of initial paid training plus ongoing education as a measured response.

Provider groups expressed broad support for improving training but raised concerns about content and cost. Tracy Wodach, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association for Health Care at Home, warned that some proposed topics—CPR and first aid, for example—are medically oriented and could conflict with the nonmedical scope of homemaker companion agencies; she urged training aligned to nonmedical care, infection control, communication and dementia support, and highlighted the need for portability of training across employers. Marlene Ciccarella and other agency representatives urged the committee to consider Medicaid reimbursement and the administrative burden of tracking required hours.

The committee did not take a vote. Members asked agencies and advocates to work with committee staff on drafting language that balances quality, role‑appropriate training, portability and funding.