| Standing in front of a large screen highlighting the launch of “... Standing in front of a large screen highlighting the launch of “Dementia Education Online” are the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Professor Patrick Crookes, and Professor Wendy Moyle from Griffith University who presented a special guest lecture |
Launch of new online resource to meet growing issues of dementia
28 Feb 2008 | Renee Criddle
The Eastern Australia Dementia Training and Study Centre (EADTSC) on 27 February officially launched its “Dementia Education Online” resource at the University of Wollongong.
The education initiative is the result of extensive collaboration between experts in dementia education at the EADTSC including leading academics at the University of Wollongong, Queensland University of Technology, and Griffith University. The EADTSC is funded as part of the Australian Government’s Dementia Initiative.
The resource is made up of three learning modules and the focus is on facilitating flexible learning which can be integrated into existing education modules or used as a stand-alone package. The resource includes content about:
* Types of dementia and the impact of dementia on both the person with dementia and his/her carer
* Assessment and screening for dementia, and
* Communication in dementia.
The EADTSC Project Officer, Dr Nancy Humpel, said that these are the three essential elements of good quality dementia care.
The target audience for the new resource is undergraduate students, but the resource could also be used by registered practitioners or support workers as part of their ongoing professional development.
”This education initiative responds to the changing needs of the workforce. The modules, which allow practitioners, support workers and students access to evidence-based dementia education, can be completed either within the structured framework of an existing education/training programs, or independently at the participant’s own time and pace,” Dr Humpel said.
The Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, has welcomed the new online resource noting that “as Australia’s population ages, skilling the aged care workforce to provide high quality dementia care is vital”.
“The establishment of Dementia Training Study Centres as part of the Dementia Initiative, not only supports the care of people with dementia, but also provides a career path, including post-graduate study and scholarships for health care professionals,” the Minister said.
Immediately following the launch of the new online resource, the EADTSC conducted a special guest lecture in the Graduate School of Medicine Auditorium. The lecture was entitled “Complementary Therapies: Do They Have a Role in the Treatment of Disruptive Behaviours”. It was delivered by Professor Wendy Moyle from Griffith University in Queensland.
Disruptive behaviours among people with dementia are distressing to family and carers and are often cited by families as one of the main reasons for placement of the person with dementia into residential care. The use of complementary therapies for disruptive behaviours has grown in popularity in Western culture over the past decade.
Part of Professor Moyle’s presentation reviewed evidence from the literature on several popular complementary therapies such as massage/touch, aromatherapy, exercise, carer support and music.
Professor Moyle is acknowledged as a leader in aged care research both nationally and internationally.
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