Are you passionate about driving the change in dementia care? Or do you know someone in your organisation who naturally leads the transformation?
With over 400,000 people in Australia living with dementia, there is a growing need for high quality dementia care. Dementia Australia is exploring new ways of providing ongoing learning and support in the difficult and challenging process of making transformational change in dementia care.
We are creating dementia Communities of practice for people working in residential and community aged care with a shared goal to transform dementia care by learning together to improve practice. Dementia Australia invites you to be a part of the change in providing quality care for people living with dementia by joining one of our pilot programs in 2020.
As part of a dementia Community of practice you will:
- develop a network of mutual support through other members
- share knowledge and information about dementia care
- learn about new and emerging improvements in dementia care
- have ongoing access to education and resources
- receive support on how to implement change.
Your organisation will benefit from:
- increased capacity to support people living with dementia
- opportunities for inter-agency collaborations
- improved workforce knowledge, skills and confidence.
Being a part of a dementia Community of practice will involve attending regular monthly meetings over the course of one year, and engaging in activities of the Community of practice by accessing and sharing resources and connecting with other members using technology. During the twelve-month pilot program you will be asked to complete a range of measures via a survey before the first meeting, at three months and twelve months (one hour on each of three occasions). There is no cost to participants. Opportunities to join the program may be limited by capacity and location.
To participate in the Community of practice pilot program, you must:
- have completed foundational training in dementia care (e.g., Dementia Essentials, or equivalent) within the past two years
- be working in residential or community aged care in a role that provides capacity to implement change and be able to identify goals for improving practice
- have the agreement of your organisation to allow time and resources for you to attend meetings (two hours per month) and to engage in online activities (two hours per month) over a period of twelve months.
For further information about this program and how to participate, call 1300 336 368 or email cdl@dementia.org.au