What is the ADDC Seminar? Everything You Need to Know Before You Register

If you work in dementia care, you already know the job asks for more than most general healthcare training covers. There’s no manual for the communication shifts, distress responses, and family dynamics you face day-to-day. That’s what the ADDC Seminar prepares you for.

Short for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Seminar, the ADDC Seminar is a common starting point for professionals who want practical, usable skills. The need for this kind of training keeps growing as new dementia diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to double by 2060, leaving care teams with less time than ever to prepare. 

This article covers what the ADDC Seminar includes, who it is for, what it costs, and how it fits into the path toward becoming a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP). 

What is an ADDC (Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care) seminar?

The ADDC Seminar is a focused training program for people who work directly with individuals living with dementia. It’s built around the daily realities of dementia care, including communicating with someone who is losing verbal communication, responding to expressions of distress, and planning care around the person rather than the diagnosis.

The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) developed the seminar because general healthcare education rarely covers these situations in depth, even for licensed staff. 

Since then, the ADDC Seminar has become a standard entry point into specialized dementia care education in the country. It’s also the required training step for anyone pursuing the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) credential through NCCDP.

NCCDP sets the curriculum and owns the content. The seminar is delivered by a network of NCCDP corporate staff and NCCDP-approved independent trainers. This keeps the content consistent no matter who teaches your session.

The Importance of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Education

Specialized dementia training directly affects safety, dignity, and quality of life for the people you support. Getting those moments right takes more than good instincts. It takes training built for this specific work, and for supporting families as symptoms change and become more challenging over time. 

Completing the ADDC Seminar gives you:

• A clearer sense of what to expect as dementia moves through its stages
• Practical ways to respond to expressions of distress that don’t start with a prescription
• Communication tools that work even as someone’s verbal ability changes 
• More confidence on the floor, which research shows carries over into better knowledge and attitudes on the job 

What Does the ADDC Seminar Cover?

The seminar is typically delivered as a single 8-hour session. Some trainers split it into shorter blocks, particularly for the online format. 

Whether you attend in person or take the ADDC Seminar online, the curriculum must meet the same NCCDP standards. You’re not getting a lighter version by choosing virtual. 

Core Curriculum and Learning Objectives

The core curriculum covers these topics:

Understanding dementia and Alzheimer’s disease 

The different types of dementia, how they progress, and why ruling out reversible causes of cognitive decline matters before assuming a diagnosis is permanent.

Person-centered care planning 

How to build care plans around a person’s history, preferences, and identity, not only their diagnosis, and how that shapes day-to-day decisions on the floor.

Communication strategies that work 

Verbal and non-verbal techniques for people with reduced verbal expression. These lower frustration on both sides and keep the person engaged.

Recognizing and responding to distress 

This section focuses on identifying what’s triggering distress, such as pain, fear, or an unmet need, instead of framing distress as behavior to be managed. It also covers non-pharmacological approaches to de-escalation.

Ethical and legal basics 

Advance directives, consent, guardianship, and documentation practices you’ll run into in a care setting.

Supporting your team and families 

How to support colleagues dealing with compassion fatigue, and how to bring families into the care process instead of leaving them on the outside.

End-of-life and palliative care 

How to recognize late-stage needs and continue honoring the person through the end of their life.

By the end, you should be able to build a more dementia-friendly environment and communicate more clearly across your care team. All of this can translate into fewer unnecessary hospitalizations and better outcomes for the people you care for.

ADDC Seminar Online: What to Expect

Since the curriculum itself doesn’t change based on format, here’s what does shift when you attend online:

• Format. The ADDC seminar is always provided live, whether it is presented in-person or online.
• Engagement. Trainers build in case studies, breakout discussions, and knowledge checks. This keeps the session from feeling like a passive lecture. 
• Certification eligibility. You meet the same participation and attendance requirements online as in-person. It counts the same way toward your CDP application.

Online works well if you’re in a rural area, work rotating shifts, or need to train a team spread across multiple sites. It also lets nurses, social workers, and activity staff train together, even when they’re in different locations.  

Who Should Attend an ADDC Seminar?

This training is built for people who provide direct care, oversight, or support to individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. It’s meant for professional care settings, rather than family caregivers or the general public. 

Roles that fit include:

• Nurses (RNs, LPNs/LVNs) and CNAs who need sharper skills in assessment, communication, and de-escalation
• Activity professionals and recreation therapists planning meaningful engagement for people living with dementia
• Social workers and case managers supporting psychosocial needs and care transitions
• Administrators and healthcare leaders overseeing dementia care programs and compliance
• Memory care specialists and unit directors running specialized dementia units
• Home health and hospice professionals providing care in-home or end-of-life settings
• Other allied health professionals, including OTs, PTs, dietitians, and chaplains whose role touches dementia care

Eligibility: You generally don’t need a specific certification or degree to attend most ADDC Seminars. The experience requirement applies later, at the CDP application stage. Some trainers may still ask for proof of employment or licensure if you plan to apply it toward certification. 

Registration Process: What to Know Before You Register

Registering for an ADDC Seminar takes a bit more than picking the first available date. A few steps up front can save you a scheduling conflict or a wasted fee later.

1) Find a seminar. 

There are two ways to register: directly with a certified independent trainer through NCCDP’s public calendar, or through an NCCDP corporate-staff-led session via the member portal. 

Both options list the trainer, time zone, and registration details up front, so pay close attention to time zones since sessions run across different regions. 

2) Choose a trainer. 

Confirm the seminar is led by an NCCDP-certified instructor before you register. Pricing and delivery style can still vary between approved trainers, so it’s worth checking reviews or asking your facility’s education coordinator for a recommendation.

3) Check CEU accreditation, if you need it. 

If you need continuing education units for licensure renewal, confirm with the provider that the seminar is accredited by your state or professional board before you pay.

4) Register and pay. 

Once you’ve picked a pathway, complete the registration form. 

After payment, watch for a confirmation email with your access instructions, materials, and any pre-seminar requirements. 

A few other things worth knowing before you commit:

Tech setup. NCCDP recommends using a desktop or laptop rather than a phone or tablet for the seminar. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge tend to work most reliably.

Pricing. Corporate-led ADDC Seminars cost a flat $210 per person. Independent trainers are approved to set their own rate, so cost can vary if you go that route. This is separate from the $185 CDP application fee you pay later if you pursue certification. 

Cancellation policy. Review the provider’s cancellation and transfer terms before you commit. NCCDP’s own corporate seminars require written notice at least one week ahead, and refunds are issued after a $75 administrative fee.

Reschedule policy. For corporate seminars, you can reschedule within 60 days of your original date, up to two times. After that, you’re refunded the seminar fee minus the $75 fee. 

What to prepare:

• Pre-work. Most seminars provide a participant manual or workbook ahead of time, so review it if you can. 
• Materials: Bring a notepad, a pen, and any required identification or licensure documentation. 
• Online setup: If you’re attending online, set up in a quiet workspace and test your connection and familiarity with the Zoom platform ahead of time, so technical issues don’t eat into your session.

Getting the most out of your ADDC Seminar

A few strategies can help you get more from the seminar.

• Bring real examples from your floor. Trainers can give more useful answers when you ask about a specific situation, instead of a hypothetical one.
• Ask questions as they come up. Your trainer is an experienced dementia care professional. Use that access while you have it.
• Connect with other attendees, especially if you work in a smaller or rural facility where you don’t always have peers to compare notes with.
• Pick three things to implement before you leave the session. Taking action helps the lessons stick.
• Save your Certificate of Attendance right away if you plan to apply for CDP certification. You’ll need it during the application step.

Career Advancement: How the ADDC Seminar connects to CDP certification 

Completing the ADDC Seminar is the required first step toward the Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) credential. Finishing the seminar doesn’t automatically make you certified. You still need to submit a separate application and meet NCCDP’s experience requirements. 

To qualify for CDP certification, you need at least one full year of paid experience in geriatric healthcare, in a role where you work directly with individuals diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Roles outside direct care, including unpaid support for a family member or friend, don’t qualify toward this requirement. 

In practice, the path looks like this: 

1. Attend the ADDC Seminar, in person or virtual, and get your Certificate of Attendance from your trainer.
2. Create a login and start your application through NCCDP’s portal.
3. Upload your documentation, such as a healthcare license, a diploma or transcript, or a letter from an administrator if your role doesn’t require either.
4. Submit your application fee. The CDP application currently costs $185, subject to change.
5. Wait for review. NCCDP typically reviews applications within 24 to 72 hours. You’ll get an email either with a note on what’s missing or an approval with your certification.

Once you’re certified, it’s good for two years. Renewal costs $185 at this time, and NCCDP requires that you obtain 10 CEUs in the 2-year renewal timeframe. These can come from any healthcare topic, including staff in-services. NCCDP won’t ask for proof at renewal unless you’re selected for audit, but keep your documentation on hand.

For teams sending multiple staff through training at once, NCCDP also offers group rates for 10 or more people pursuing CDP certification together.

Frequently Asked Questions About ADDC Seminars

Are CEUs provided for the ADDC Seminar? 

Yes. Corporate-led seminars are approved for 7 NAB credits, 7 NCCAP CEUs, 7 nursing CEUs in most states, and 7 NCCDP CEUs. If you’re attending a seminar with an independent trainer, confirm CEU approval with that trainer directly, since it can vary by instructor. 

What does the ADDC Seminar curriculum include? 

The curriculum covers dementia types and progression, person-centered care planning, communication strategies, and non-pharmacological responses to distress. It also covers ethical and legal basics and end-of-life care. Every NCCDP-approved trainer delivers the same core standards, whether the seminar is in person or online. 

How much does the ADDC Seminar cost? 

Expect a flat $210 if you go through an NCCDP corporate-led session. Independent trainers set their own pricing, so it’s worth asking upfront if you book through one. In both cases, the CDP application fee ($185) is billed separately, later in the process. 

How do I find an ADDC Seminar near me? 

Start through NCCDP’s website, which lists approved instructors and scheduled seminars by date and location. You can also check with local long-term care associations or your employer’s education department for sessions closer to home.

Where can I find upcoming ADDC Seminar schedules? 

NCCDP’s website keeps an up-to-date calendar of both in-person and online seminars. Approved instructors also post their own schedules, and your state’s long-term care association may share updates as well.

Is the ADDC Seminar available online? 

Yes. The ADDC Seminar online covers the same content as the in-person version and counts the same way toward CDP eligibility; only the format changes. 

Do I need experience to attend the ADDC Seminar? 

No. You don’t need a specific certification or experience to attend the seminar itself. A healthcare or social services background is still recommended, and the one-year paid experience requirement only applies later, at the CDP application stage.

Register for Your ADDC Seminar 

The ADDC Seminar is where all CDP applicants start, and for good reason. You walk away with a certificate, along with skills you can put to use on your very next shift. It sharpens your day-to-day judgment and contributes to safer, more person-centered care for your community.

NCCDP has supported dementia care professionals for over 20 years, and that experience shapes every part of this seminar’s curriculum. 

Ready to get started? Register for an upcoming ADDC Seminar and take the first step toward becoming a Certified Dementia Practitioner. It’s a practical way to strengthen your dementia care knowledge and advance your career.