Dementia Care

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Vol 5 No 5 October/November 2016 Australian Journal of Dementia Care 5
N E W S
Dementia Training Australia leads national program
Anational consortium, led by
the University of Wollongong,
has been selected to deliver
Australia’s new $28 million
national Dementia Training
Program.
Dementia Training Australia
(DTA) was chosen following a
three-stage tender process to
select a single provider to
deliver a streamlined dementia
training program to replace the
Dementia Study Training
Centres (DTSCs) and Dementia
Care Essentials Program. The
DTSCs ceased operations on
30 September 2016, with all
Australian Government
dementia training services
now being delivered by DTA
from 1 October.
The DTA consortium brings
together the expertise of
Australia’s leading dementia
educators and trainers to
develop and enhance the skills
of the professional workforce
who care for people with
dementia.
The consortium comprises
The University of Wollongong
(led by Professor Richard
Fleming); Alzheimer’s
Australia (Jason Burton, from
Alzheimer’s Australia WA);
Queensland University of
Technology (Professor
Elizabeth Beattie); Wicking
Dementia Research and
Education Centre, University
of Tasmania (Professor Andrew
Robinson); La Trobe University
(Dr Margaret Winbolt); and
Western Australian Centre for
Health and Ageing, University
of Western Australia (Dr
Andrew Stafford).
Professor Fleming said they
will be building on the
experience gained in operating
Australia’s five Dementia
Training Study Centres and the
Dementia Care Essentials
program for the past nine years
and developing the world’s
premier health care Massive
Open Online Course (MOOC).
The consortiummembers are
based in WA, Victoria,
Queensland, Tasmania and
NSW and will provide training
services using Alzheimer’s
Australia’s nationwide
network.
“This unique collaboration
andAustralia-wide coverage
will ensure that the next
generation of dementia training
is based on the most up-to-date
evidence and is delivered in the
most readily accessible ways to
aged and health personnel right
across Australia,” Professor
Fleming said.
“Our consortium has a
physical presence in every
state and territory and the
ability to provide the world’s
best web-based dementia
education. Our goal is to
provide access to excellent
services and resources to
everyone who is engaged in
improving aged or health care
for people with dementia.”
“The establishment of a
nationwide dementia training
program marks a milestone in
Australia’s journey towards
consistently high standards of
care for people with dementia.
The new service will provide
easy access to the most up-to-
date training for the whole
range of health and aged care
personnel, from personal care
assistants in the community
and residential care to medical
specialists in hospitals.”
“Our consortium has
brought together the leaders in
the translation of new
knowledge into best practice.
We know that giving
information is not enough to
change practice. We will be
working alongside
organisations that are ready to
change to help them improve
their care for people with
dementia.”
Alzheimer’s Australia
Acting National CEO Maree
McCabe said Alzheimer’s
Australia was pleased to be a
DTApartner and to play a key
role in delivering Dementia
Essentials, a leading
international vocational
training program, which
provides free dementia
training and education to over
16,000 staff working directly
with people living with
dementia.
More information about the
DTA is available at www.
.au.
The announcement is part of
the Australian Government’s
new national approach to
providing improved programs
and services to better support
people with dementia and
carers, following the findings
of last year’s Analysis of
Dementia Programs report.
Assistant Minister for Health
and Aged Care Ken Wyatt said
the new national Dementia
Training Program and the
national Dementia Behaviour
Management Advisory Service
(DBMAS) (see story p4) would
deliver increased consistency
of dementia support in
Australia.
Dementia MOOC in top 50
In another first for The University of Tasmania’s
Wicking Dementia Research and Education
Centre, its Understanding Dementia Massive
Open Online Course (MOOC) has been listed
in the top 50 online courses of all time,
including number one in the health and
medical category. The ratings come from
Class Central, which lists MOOCs based on
user ratings from more than 6000 MOOCs
delivered by more than 600 universities
worldwide.
Since it began in 2013, the Understanding
Dementia MOOC has had more than 70,000
participants from 170 countries, with a
completion rate of 38%, which is among the
highest of any MOOC. The Wicking Centre
recently introduced a second online course,
the Preventing Dementia MOOC.
From left: Professor Richard Fleming, Jason Burton, Professor
Elizabeth Beattie, Professor Andrew Robinson, Dr Margaret Winbolt
and Dr Andrew Stafford
Australia’s first Bachelor of Dementia Care
graduates recently received their degrees
from the University of Tasmania. The
Bachelor of Dementia Care is Australia’s first
degree in dementia care and is offered by the
Faculty of Health’s Wicking Dementia
Research and Education Centre. It’s a fully
online course available to domestic and
international students, from carers to health
professionals. Students considering enrolling
in the course in 2017 who are Australian
citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for a HECS fee waiver. This means no
tuition fees for all units commenced in 2017. Students will still be required to pay student
services and amenities fees per unit studied. Details at:
The 2016
graduates (pictured from left) are: Suzanne Teague, Jillian Chisolm, Marcia Penn, Melisa
Sincock, Evthoxia Lynch, (absent Janet Siversen). Photo: Natalie Mendham photography
First Bachelor of Dementia Care graduates