Dementia Training, CDP Certification, and Better Senior Living

Dementia Training, CDP Certification, and Better Senior Living

From Foresight Radio by Senior Living Foresight Radio

March 18, 2026 · 15 min · Season 8 · Episode 2

About this episode

Rebecca Barker discusses her transition into dementia care education and the importance of training and certification in senior living.

What happens when someone enters senior living with zero industry background — and discovers a mission worth staying for? In this episode of Foresight Radio, we sit down with Rebecca Barker, VP of Business Development at the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP), to talk about her journey from HR software sales into the heart of dementia care education. We explore: Why senior living conferences feel like the "new kid in school" — and why that's a good thing The surprising passion that keeps professionals in aging services The dangerous gap in dementia education for frontline caregivers How live dementia training improves retention, confidence, and census Why CDP (Certified Dementia Practitioner) certification builds pride and professionalism The connection between training, family satisfaction, and occupancy growth What it really means to set a national standard in dementia care Rebecca shares how NCCDP's live, instructor-led dementia certification differs from "click-through" compliance training — and why investing in education directly impacts staff retention, fall rates, deficiencies, and family trust. If you're a senior living operator, executive…

People in this episode

Guest: Rebecca Barker

Topics covered

  • dementia training
  • senior living
  • workforce development
  • certification
  • education standards
  • caregiver retention

Keywords

  • dementia care
  • CDP certification
  • senior living conferences
  • frontline caregivers
  • staff retention
  • family satisfaction
  • occupancy growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners

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