Dementia Care Training for Support Workers : Face-to-Face Training

Dementia is a disorder affecting brain function and a term describing symptoms of cognitive impairment that can affect a person's memory, thinking, reasoning, behaviour, personality and ability to communicate.
While dementia is commonly associated with the elderly, it isn't a natural part of aging. In Australia it is estimated there are around 460,000 diagnosed people (AIHW, 2020), and approximately 28,000 people are younger than 65 years (Dementia Australia, 2021). Dementia can happen to people in their thirties and people with intellectual disability (ID) are at increased risk.

To be assessed competent in dementia care for disability support workers, you must complete the following tasks:

• Demonstrate in a simulated environment, a response to a client exhibiting a challenging behaviour


• Develop a self-care plan for a client


• Successfully complete a multiple choice knowledge assessment paper

Nil

2 hours and 45 minutes face-to-face training and assessment

Dementia Care for Support Workers: Face-to-Face Training and Assessment

1 year

We select our Premium Health trainers and assessors carefully as such our dementia programs will only ever be conducted by an experienced nurse. There can be no better trainer than one who has "lived" experience of supporting people who have dementia.
Some of the topics include:

• Types and causes of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, Frontotemporal dementia,


• Progression and stages of dementia


• Care goals across the stages


• Balancing duty of care and dignity of risk


• Providing purposeful activities


• Avoiding overstimulation


• Providing respectful personal support


• Caring for clients with incontinence


• Providing support with nutrition and feeding


• Avoiding and dealing with challenging behaviour


• Paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and misidentification


• Agitation, paranoia, wandering, sundowning


• Documenting support and observations