Dementia Education For Aged Care Workers

The Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended regular dementia education for aged care workers.

Dementia Australia CEO, Maree McCabe said quality dementia care and education should be included in any discussion informing the September Jobs and Skills Summit.

“While it is crucial to have aged care providers and union representatives at the Summit, it is equally important that those able to build the capacity of the workforce and develop meaningful and rewarding career pathways are also included,” Ms McCabe said.

“Embedding a minimum level of compulsory dementia care education is as important as increasing staffing numbers and wages.

“In the short-term, upskilling the current workforce using existing tools such as the ‘Ask Annie’ mobile learning app and the government funded ‘Dementia Essentials’ course will begin to alleviate some of the pressures and challenges of caring for someone living with dementia.”

Dementia education ultimately results in better service delivery and quality of life for people living with dementia.

It means fewer high-risk incidents, lower rates of inappropriate use of medication and more positive staff morale.

There are fewer occurrences of changed behaviour when the professionals caring for people living with dementia have completed dementia education.

With 65 per cent of those in residential aged care with moderate to severe cognitive impairment and 70 per cent of the almost half a million Australians with dementia in the community access in-home care, it is important that all staff employed and entrusted to provide care must be appropriately trained in dementia care.

• Topics:

• Seniors
• Mental Health and Welbeing
• Aged Care