Mandatory Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Training Requirements

Practical guide to ADRD training requirements for Florida home health agencies, nurse registries, and other licensed providers.

Guide 6 min readFree PDFOctober 18, 2026InspectionsPersonnelTraining
Document no. ACL-001
Effective date Original home health ADRD requirement: July 1, 2005
Current standardized statewide ADRD law: July 1, 2023
Regulatory source Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes (Alzheimer's Disease and Related Forms of Dementia Education and Training Act)
AHCA Core Licensure Regulations, Tag ST-ZZ875
Applies to Employees, contracted staff, and independent contractors who are required to undergo Level 2 background screening and are employed or referred by a licensed Florida home health agency, nurse registry, homemaker and companion service, health care services pool, assisted living facility, nursing home, adult day care center, or adult family-care home.

Florida law (s. 430.5025, F.S.) requires covered providers to ensure that employees and independent contractors who must undergo Level 2 background screening complete Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) training. The requirements begin at hire, continue with a 1-hour course within 30 days for staff who provide personal care or have regular contact, and require additional hours within 7 months for staff who provide personal care. This training guide outlines every requirement, timeline, and link you need to stay in compliance.

In this guide

Requirement 1 · Upon hire

Information handout

Upon hire, every employee or independent contractor must receive basic written information about interacting with persons who have Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.

  • Applies to every employee and independent contractor who is required to undergo Level 2 background screening, including office and administrative staff.
  • Must be distributed at time of hire, not within a grace period.
  • Download the required handout at elderaffairs.org (ADRD Basic Written Information, PDF)

Practical tip: Add the handout to your onboarding packet and have the new hire sign and date an acknowledgment of receipt. The signed acknowledgment, not the handout itself, is what proves distribution to a surveyor.

Requirement 2 · Within 30 days of hire

One-hour video training (Department of Elder Affairs)

Within 30 days of hire, any employee or independent contractor who is required to have a Level 2 background screening and who provides personal care to or has regular contact with patients must complete the Department of Elder Affairs 1-hour video training program.

  • Available in both English and Spanish.
  • Must be completed individually on the Department of Elder Affairs website. No third-party substitutes or group viewing accepted.
  • A certificate of completion is emailed to the participant within five business days of finishing.
  • The certificate must be printed and a copy placed in the personnel file/registration folder.
  • The course is taken only once; a worker who already completed it can provide the existing certificate to a new employer.
  • Access the training at: elderaffairs.org/adrd-training/one-hour-training

Practical tip: Ask every new hire whether they already hold a DOEA 1-hour certificate before assigning the course. When they take it, have them use a desktop computer, type their full legal name exactly as it should appear, and check their spam folder for the certificate. Problems with a missing certificate go to abh@elderaffairs.org.

Requirement 3 · Within 7 months of hire

Additional hours of approved training

In addition to the one-hour video, employees and independent contractors who provide personal care must complete additional ADRD training from a Department of Elder Affairs-approved trainer within 7 months of hire. The number of hours depends on the provider type.

Provider type Additional training Who must complete it
Home health agencies, nurse registries, homemaker and companion services 2 hours within 7 months of hire Employees and contractors who provide personal care
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family-care homes, adult day care centers 3 hours within 7 months of hire Employees who provide personal care
ALFs, adult family-care homes, and adult day care centers that advertise or are designated to provide specialized Alzheimer’s/dementia care 3 hours within 3 months; plus 4 dementia-specific hours within 6 months; plus 4 hours of continuing education each calendar year 3-hour course: staff with personal care or regular contact. 4-hour course and continuing education: staff who provide personal care
Health care services pools The training required for the covered provider and position where the worker is placed Pool must verify and keep documentation before assigning staff
  • Both the trainer and the curriculum must be approved by the Department of Elder Affairs for your care setting. Approved courses may be delivered in person or electronically.
  • The trainer’s certificate should show the trainee’s full name, the trainer approval number, and the curriculum approval number.
  • View the list of approved trainers at: elderaffairs.org/adrd-training/trainers-curricula

Practical tip: Before you schedule the course, get a copy of the trainer’s and curriculum’s DOEA approval letters and confirm they are approved for your care setting (in-home vs. facility). Keep the letters on file with your training records.

Survey readiness

The AHCA survey perspective

During an AHCA survey, surveyors will review personnel files/registration folders to verify:

  1. Documentation that the ADRD handout was distributed at hire.
  2. Certificate of completion for the 1-hour Department of Elder Affairs video training.
  3. Documentation of the additional approved training (2 hours for in-home providers, 3 hours for facility-based providers) within 7 months.

Survey alert: Missing or incomplete ADRD training documentation is cited under Tag ST-ZZ875 and may result in a deficiency finding. Maintain all certificates in each employee's personnel file.

Practical tip: Staff hired or referred before July 1, 2023 had until July 1, 2026 to complete the required training. That deadline has passed, so audit long-tenured staff files now. Equivalent training completed before July 1, 2023 may be accepted if it is documented.

At a glance

Quick reference timeline

Timing Requirement Who it applies to
Upon hire Distribute the Department of Elder Affairs basic written ADRD information All employees and independent contractors required to have Level 2 background screening
Within 30 days Complete 1-hour Department of Elder Affairs video training Staff required to have Level 2 background screening who provide personal care or have regular contact with patients
Within 7 months Complete 2 additional hours (in-home providers) or 3 additional hours (facility-based providers) from a DOEA-approved trainer and curriculum Staff who provide personal care

Practical tips

Consultant tips for compliance

Practical tip: Personnel File Checklist. Add ADRD training to every new employee's personnel file to track each required step from hire through the 7-month deadline. For example, ADRD handout provided during onboarding, completion of 1 hour training within 30 days of hire/registration, and completion of 2 additional hours (in-home providers) or 3 additional hours (facility-based providers) of training within 7 months of hire/registration.

Practical tip: Provide Handout. Document that the employee received the required Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) educational information on or before the first day of employment or registration.

Practical tip: Complete the 1-Hour DOEA Training Within 30 Days. Ensure employees who provide personal care or have regular patient contact complete the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) approved 1-hour online ADRD training within 30 days of hire or registration.

Practical tip: File the Certificate. Place the DOEA certificate in the employee's/contractor's personnel file or registration folder.

Practical tip: Track the 7-Month Deadline. Employees/contractors who provide personal care must complete the additional 2-hour (or 3-hour) ADRD training within seven months of hire or registration. Don't rely on memory; use an electronic calendar reminder system.

Practical tip: Use an Approved Training Provider. Verify that the additional ADRD course is provided by a Department of Elder Affairs-approved trainer using a curriculum approved for your care setting. A course approved for a different setting does not satisfy the requirement.

Practical tip: Accept Prior Training When Appropriate. If a newly hired employee has already completed the required ADRD training with another covered provider, obtain documentation and place it in the personnel file. Employees generally are not required to repeat the training when changing employers.

Practical tip: Re-check When a Role Changes. If an office or administrative employee begins making home visits, conducting admissions, or providing hands-on help, their training obligations change. Update their checklist and schedule the 1-hour course right away.

 

Regulatory reference

Sources: Florida Statutes and Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)

Section 430.5025, Florida Statutes: flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/430.5025

Tag ST-ZZ875, AHCA Core Licensure Regulations. Full regulation available at: AHCA Core Licensure Regulations (PDF)

Related resources

Disclaimer: The information contained in this document is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. While Alliance Consulting Services of Florida, Inc. makes every effort to ensure accuracy, regulatory requirements, statutes, and guidance are subject to change at any time without notice. This document does not constitute legal advice. Alliance Consulting Services of Florida, Inc. assumes no liability for errors, omissions, or outcomes resulting from reliance on this material.

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