A Four-Part Training SeriesDEER Care Partner Training
Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Dementia Care
Twelve hours of interactive education that give family and professional care partners the skills and insights for high-quality, relationship-centered, culturally responsive dementia care, in any setting.
- Four 3‑hour modules
- Built on the VIPS framework
- Family & professional care partners
- Offered in person or virtually
Excellence in dementia care begins with the relationship.
DEER Care Partner Training: Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Dementia Care is a four-part series that supports care partners, family and professional, in building the skills and insights needed for high-quality, relationship-centered, culturally responsive dementia care.
Drawing from evidence-based practices and a holistic understanding of dementia, this comprehensive training offers tools and approaches to enhance communication, foster meaningful relationships, and engage in individualized care and support. The series is broadly applicable across care settings, equipping participants with strategies to meet the unique needs of each person living with dementia they serve.
Care is not a task list.
It’s a partnership.
Relationship-centered care honors the interdependence between the person living with dementia and the people who support them.
Four 3-Hour Modules, Built on the VIPS Framework
VIPS is a well-established model of person- and relationship-centered dementia care. Each letter anchors one module of the training.
The VIPS framework was developed by Professor Dawn Brooker, building on Tom Kitwood’s foundational work on person-centered care. It was introduced in Brooker, D. (2003). What is person-centred care in dementia? Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 13(3), 215–222, and developed further in Brooker, D., & Latham, I. (2016). Person-Centred Dementia Care: Making Services Better with the VIPS Framework (2nd ed.). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
- Module 1
Valuing Personhood, Relationships, and Culture
Participants will recognize the importance of valuing personhood, relationships, and cultural context in dementia care and support by applying principles of cultural humility and honoring life history, traditions, and preferences.
- Module 2
Treating People as Unique Individuals
Participants will learn to develop individualized approaches to supporting well-being that reflect each person’s unique identity, life experiences, preferences, and strengths, promoting autonomy and meaningful engagement.
- Module 3
Looking at the World from the Perspective of the Person
Participants will learn proactive approaches to supporting well-being and reframe so-called “dementia behaviors” as communication, learning to decode and respond to expressions of distress or unmet needs by seeking to understand the perspective of the person living with dementia.
- Module 4
Providing a Positive and Supportive Social Environment
Participants will enhance communication skills for interacting with people living with dementia and learn to foster a supportive environment that encourages meaningful social inclusion and opportunities for continued community engagement.
Built to Travel Across Care Settings
This program explores what it takes to achieve excellence within the context of dementia care and support. It was written to be portable: the same relationship-centered skills hold up whether you are clocking in for a shift or supporting someone you love.
- Skilled nursing
- Memory care
- Assisted living
- Home-based care and support
- Family and friend care partners
- Adult day, hospice, and community programs
This Curriculum Has Been Studied, and It Works.
DEER Care Partner Training shares its 12-hour VIPS curriculum with Bravo Zulu, the program it grew out of. In a peer-reviewed study of 182 participants, that training produced significant increases in both personhood beliefs and self-efficacy, with the largest gains among healthcare professionals new to care partner training.
Carson, J., Koswatta, T. J., Hoeper, S., & Reed, P. S. (2025). Increasing Care Partners’ Capacity for Supporting Individuals Living with Dementia Through Bravo Zulu. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(7), 970.
One Curriculum, Three Doorways
The DEER Program offers three versions of this relationship-centered dementia education. They share one conviction: that personhood, culture, and relationship belong at the center of care.
- Where it started
Bravo Zulu
Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Dementia Care
This curriculum, developed by DEER Program Director Dr. Jennifer Carson with the Nevada Department of Veterans Services and the Perry Foundation. Bravo Zulu is the naval signal for “Job well done!”, and this version adds a focus on military cultural competence and cultural humility. Written with older veterans and veterans with disabilities in mind, it improves care and support for all elders.
- Best for
- Organizations serving veterans
- Format
- Four 3-hour modules, by contract
- You are here
DEER Care Partner Training
Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Dementia Care
The same core concepts as Bravo Zulu, opened up to every care setting. This is the version to bring to your own team: skilled nursing, memory care, assisted living, home-based services, adult day, or a room full of family care partners. Booked through a fee-for-service contract and delivered in person or virtually, on a schedule that fits your staffing.
- Best for
- Any organization or group
- Format
- Four 3-hour modules, by contract
- Where it is going
Attuned Partnerships in Dementia Care
Featuring the DUET Framework
The newest evolution, built with Hilarity for Charity (HFC) and shaped by people living with dementia and the care partners who support them. It carries the same relationship-centered foundation into the DUET framework: Dignity, Uniqueness, Experience, and Togetherness. Registrations are free and upcoming sessions are listed on the HFC website.
- Best for
- Individuals who want to join a session now
- Format
- Four 3.5-hour sessions, free, live on Zoom
Not sure which one fits? Tell us a little about your team and we will point you to the right doorway.
Bring DEER Care Partner Training to Your Team
We can help your organization’s staff achieve excellence in relationship-centered dementia care and support. Get in touch to learn about fee-for-service contract opportunities to host an offering of DEER Care Partner Training for your employees, in person or virtually.
Get in TouchInterested in Attending a Future Offering?
Add your name to the list
DEER Care Partner Training is scheduled by request, so offerings are usually hosted by an employer, a coalition, or a community partner rather than posted on a public calendar. Tell us you are interested and we will reach out when one opens near you. And if you work somewhere that could host a series, we will gladly talk with your leadership too.
Or join a session already on the calendar
Attuned Partnerships in Dementia Care teaches the same relationship-centered approach through the DUET framework. It is free, live on Zoom, and carries a Certificate of Completion to support your application for up to 12 CEUs. No contract required.
