Advancing Practice in Dementia Care

Advancing Practice in the Care of People with Dementia – education modules, 3rd edition.

The ten Dementia Training Study Centre (DTSC) dementia modules provide core information about dementia and the care of people with dementia.

The content provides an introduction to key components and issues in the care of people with dementia, and directs readers to sources of more in-depth information and useful resources.

The content is suitable for health professionals from all disciplines and for undergraduate healthcare students.

The modules form a totally self-directed education program and health professionals undertaking the modules are free to do so at their own pace.

The modules are also available as an eLearning package at http://elearning.dtsc.com.au. There is no cost involved or time limit on completing the on-line program.

The Zip file contains the course Introduction, Reference List and separate folders with Modules 1 to 5 and Modules 6 to 10.

For enquiries regarding the modules please contact:
Victoria and Tasmania Dementia Training Study Centre:
Rebecca Brown
Email:
Phone: (03) 9479-6004

An introduction to BPSD

Introduction to Assessment and Management of BPSD for the Novice Clinicians

This program is designed primarily as a self-directed learning program aimed at assisting novice health professionals to better understand the care required for a person experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

For the purposes of this program, a “novice” clinician is defined as a clinician from nursing or allied health disciplines in the first few years post graduation.

It is anticipated that this program of learning will assist a novice clinician newly appointed to a position, either in the community or a residential aged care facility, where they will care for people with BPSD perhaps for the first time.

To aid the learning experience, the pdf file has links to online videos.

Sexualities and Dementia: Education Resource

Sexualities and Dementia: An education resource for Health Professionals

Caring for people with dementia who express their sexualities continues to be a major challenge for health professionals. This education resource, targeted at health professionals, will increase understanding of sexualities for people living with dementia.

The resource aims to:

    • Increase understanding of the concepts of intimacy, sexuality, sexual behaviours and expression of various types of sexuality (including the benefits of and barriers to expression of sexuality)
    • Identify dementia-related sexual expression
    • Discuss the roles of health professionals and approaches to the expression of sexuality by people with dementia
    • Consider the cognitive capacity of people with dementia to have intimate and sexual relationships
    • Provide a framework for developing policies/guidelines on sexualities for people with dementia
    • Identify strategies to transfer knowledge of sexualities and dementia into care practices

Please note, this download is the Sexualities and Dementia, Education Resource for Health Professionals.

The Facilitator’s Guide is also available, as a separate download from here

 

Dementia in ATSI Communities

Presentation by Dr Eddy Strivens from August 2012 on the topic of Dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.

The PowerPoint presentation is available for download as a pdf file. (Please note: file size is 5.5 Meg)

Resource for Aged Care Assessment Clinicians

This resource was developed by the Dementia Training Study Centres (DTSC) program in collaboration with staff from the Aged Care Assessment Program (ACAP).

The resource is designed to help clinicians improve access to services for people with dementia who live in the community, and their carers.

Limitations of Care Orders

This education resource was developed by Professor Ibrahim to raise awareness of the important issues around limitation of care orders and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in persons with dementia, a sensitive and often contentious matter.  People with dementia deserve the same opportunities as everyone else to be involved in making decisions about their treatment and lives and care should be exercised by others when presuming a certain quality of life for the person living with dementia.

The resource consists of:

  • Context and background information
  • An animated video presenting the issues and dilemmas
  • Key questions for health educators to prompt discussion
  • Key questions for people living with dementia and their family

The purpose of the resource is to raise awareness of the important and complex issues surrounding limitation of care orders and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in persons with dementia, a sensitive and often contentious matter.

The resource promotes a balanced and empathetic approach to decision-making in these circumstances which takes an individualised approach, recognising the complex legal, ethical and clinical issues.

The video is intended for viewing in a structured education session, ideally facilitated by a health educator who is able to explain, discuss and debate the key issues.

The resource is designed primarily for an audience of medical practitioners and other health professionals. The content may also be of interest to the general public to help inform their discussions with health professionals.