NDWS Overview

The National Dementia Workforce Study (NDWS), sponsored by the National Institute on Aging of the NIH, is fielding the first large, nationally representative surveys of the professional dementia care workforce in the United States, including community clinicians, and nursing home, assisted living, and home care staff and administrators. 

Wave 1 surveys entered the field in August 2024, with data anticipated by July 1, 2025. Survey data have the potential for linkage with a host of other data sources, including beneficiary-level Medicare claims and county-level health care resources.

This collaborative, interdisciplinary endeavor was established in Fall 2023 and is led by teams at the University of Michigan and the University of California, San Francisco, with several other university-based and non-profit partners. 

Our Mission

The NDWS was created to enable research that will guide practices and policies to ensure that all people living with dementia receive optimal care from a well-prepared and well-supported workforce.

Preparing an effective workforce to care for the growing population of PLWD is one of the top public health challenges facing the U.S. in coming decades. This large workforce has significant influence on quality and costs of care, yet staff turnover is high and significant variation in care delivery is seen across practice settings.

The unprecedented NDWS data resource will allow researchers and policymakers to characterize the support that the dementia care workforce needs and receives. Researchers can examine key issues related to the knowledge, preparation, and retention of the workforce. Data linkages will generate important insights into how these factors impact care and outcomes for PLWD.

NDWS will also conduct an annual, national competition for pilot research projects to build and support a community of scientists and researchers who will take advantage of this new data resource.