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Putting reablement into practice
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‘The problem with BPSD’
A webinar presented by well-known author and geriatrician Dr Al Power on Beyond BPSD is available to view on the Dementia Alliance International website as part of its monthly ‘Meeting of the Minds’ webinar series. Continue Reading
Namaste Care for people with advanced dementia
Namaste Care for People Living with Advanced Dementia: A Practical Guide for Carers and Professionals is a new book written by Nicola Kendall and published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Continue Reading
Out of sight out of mind
The Dementia in Prisons project is exploring best care options to support ageing prisoners living with dementia. The project’s Chief Investigator Sanetta du Toit explains how individuals and organisations can contribute to the research Continue Reading
Be part of Moving Pictures
Moving Pictures, the multi-media project raising awareness of dementia among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia, is starting work on developing resources aimed at people from Vietnamese, Spanish, Greek and Italian communities – and is now seeking family carers of people living with dementia and service providers from these communities who may wish to be involved in the process. Continue Reading
Decoding Dementia winners
Dementia Australia has announced the winners of Decoding Dementia 2019, a competition to inspire and promote the use of technology to support people living with dementia.
The winners are: Matiu Bush for Audio Kinetic Jukebox, Nan Yu for My Dementia Companion, Nicc Johnson for Muru Music, and Anne-Louise and Mark Underwood for the MemBo Noticeboard. Continue Reading
Minimising restraint use
Despite overwhelming evidence that antipsychotics are not effective or safe, they are routinely prescribed and administered against clinical guidelines to people living with dementia. To improve health and care outcomes there must be a commitment from all stakeholders to dementia education to eliminate overuse of chemical and physical restraint, supported by a national framework for workforce development, writes David Sykes. Continue Reading
Collaborative care for young people with dementia
The INSPIRED-II project team is developing and piloting a collaborative care intervention for people with young onset dementia (YOD), based on results from Australia’s first national survey of people with YOD and their supporters. Monica Cations and Sally Day explain how to get involved Continue Reading
Why Australia urgently needs post-diagnostic support and treatment for dementia
This is the reference list for the article, Why Australia urgently needs post-diagnostic support and treatment for dementia, by Associate Professor Lee-Fay Low, published in AJDC December 2019/January 2020 (Vol 8 No 6) pp30-32. Continue Reading
Dementia-friendly tourism guide
VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Alzheimer’s Society have worked together to produce Dementia-Friendly Tourism: A Practical Guide For Businesses. Continue Reading
NEWS IN BRIEF
Lifetime Achievement Award winner Professor Dawn Brooker of Worcester University in the UK will be presenting a keynote at Dementia Australia’s National Symposium in Sydney in March 2020. Continue Reading
Earle Haven Inquiry
The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians Senator Richard Colbeck has confirmed that the Morrison Government supports all 23 recommendations made by the report of Inquiry into Events at Earle Haven, produced by Kate Carnell AO and released on 11 November – describing the events at Earle Haven as “devastating, unprecedented and completely unacceptable”. Continue Reading
Govt’s $537m response to Royal Commission Interim Report
The Federal Government has announced a $537 million funding package in response to the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Interim Report, including $496.3 million for an additional 10,000 home care packages, $25.5 million for aged care medication management programs, and $10 million for additional dementia training and support for aged care workers and providers. Continue Reading
Beyond words
Some AJDC readers may remember Australia’s first television broadcast in 1956. Even fewer might recall that introducing society to television was a cautious decision by the government of the day, influenced by recommendations from the 1953 Royal Commission Into Television. Continue Reading
Dementia: Australia at the crossroads
As the Chair of Alzheimer’s Disease International for almost five years, Glenn Rees is well placed to comment on how Australia compares with other countries in terms of dementia care, its response to the World Health Organization’s Global Dementia Action Plan 2017-2025 and what lessons we should be learning Continue Reading
Leading the change in medication management
Kate Fulford and Andrew Stafford report on the findings from the first two years of the Dementia Training Australia Medication Management Consultancy; a pivotal pharmacist-led consultancy service reducing antipsychotic usage in residential aged care facilities across Australia Continue Reading
The power of collective action
Practice-change programs are often seen as the way for care organisations to achieve person-centred care. Sarah Cope questions this approach and says instead, residents should be given more opportunities to support one another. Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference highlights
The annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Los Angeles in July brought together over 6000 researchers and experts from around the world, and featured more than 3400 scientific presentations – a record for the conference. Continue Reading
Making communities more dementia-friendly: reference list
This is the complete list of references for the article, Making Communities More Dementia-Friendly, by Caroline Grogan, published in AJDC Aug/Sept 2019 (Vol 8 No 4) pp21-23. Continue Reading
Queensland pharmacies become dementia friendly
A total of 165 community pharmacies across Queensland have received specialist training to become dementia-friendly pharmacies. Continue Reading
Lifeview’s new community dementia cafe
Lifeview Residential Care launched its first community dementia cafe, Rosemary & Time, in July at ConXion Cafe, within its Lifeview Willow Wood home in Cranbourne, Victoria. The cafe is free and is held on the second Tuesday of every month with guest speakers, dementia specialists, activities and music. Continue Reading
Italian-themed resources support engagement, reminiscence
Illawarra’s Italian Social Welfare Organisation (ITSOWEL) and Mindful Generations (creators of activity kits and scarves for people with dementia) have teamed up to develop new resources aimed at older Italian people living with dementia. Continue Reading
Professor Richard Fleming retires from Dementia Training Australia
After three years leading Dementia Training Australia (DTA), Professor Richard Fleming has stepped down as Executive Director to pursue other interests, including environmental design consultancy work and research. Continue Reading
DTA ‘national peak body’ for workforce dementia training
In a short space of time, Dementia Training Australia (DTA) has established itself as the credible ‘go to’ provider for quality education and professional development for the health professional and carer workforce who are supporting people living with dementia, according to DTA’s new Executive Director Professor Belinda Goodenough Continue Reading
Gold Soul Companionship
Sanetta du Toit, Lok Yi Cheung, Kylie Angelou, Colin McDonnell and Lee-Fay Low describe an intergenerational program at Scalabrini Bexley which sees university students and older adults sharing a home. Continue Reading
A rights-based approach to risk
Jo Croft explores the benefits of a ‘can do’ rights-based approach to care planning and risk management to facilitate an active lifestyle for people living with dementia and shares an example of a positive risk assessment tool Continue Reading
Dementia service takes team approach
A team of allied health professionals, a geriatrician and carer consultants are providing holistic at-home support for people at all stages of dementia through Merri Health’s innovative Specialist Memory and Dementia Service. Daniel Calleja reports Continue Reading
Little changes can make all the difference
Alison Schmidt explains how staff at Yathong Lodge worked together to devise a simple but powerful solution to improve the quality of life for a woman who was experiencing severe trauma during personal care Continue Reading
The reliability and meaning of a dementia diagnosis
In this response to the ‘dementia doubters’ who claim public dementia advocates may, in fact, not have dementia, Kate Swaffer discusses the legitimacy of a diagnosis and the myth that dementia is a pathway that leads only to deficits and death Continue Reading
Consistent staffing models: sharing the learning
Daniella Greenwood puts the case for consistent staff assignment, arguing it is the most powerful operational approach to support the rights of people with dementia and to promote staff retention. Continue Reading
Challenging tradition: unlocking the DSU
Mark Aros describes what happened when the doors to the dementia-specific unit at Goodhew Gardens were unlocked and argues that providers must move towards a more respectful and humane approach to providing residential care for people living with dementia Continue Reading
Human rights, disability and dementia
Dementia Alliance International Chair Kate Swaffer explains the significant effort required to implement The World Health Organisation’s Global Dementia Action Plan, adopted in 2017, and why human rights and the recognition of dementia as a disability must be reflected in all regional and national dementia strategies and plans. Continue Reading
One Response to Human rights, disability and dementia
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[…] dementia to live positively. Her publication in The Australian Journal of Dementia Care (2018),“Human rights, disability and dementia”, responds to the WHO Global Plan of Action on the Public Health Response to Dementia […]
The View From Here
Fred Graham, Sandra Jeavons, Liz Miles and Elizabeth Beattie introduce The View From Here, an evidence-based online training package suitable for all Australian hospitals to use in preparing their staff to provide quality care for patients with dementia. Continue Reading
Bedtime to breakfast and beyond
What started as a program to improve the sleep of people with dementia at one Life Care site has led to a fundamental shift in how the South Australian aged care provider implements and embeds person-centred care for all residents with dementia, not just at night but 24 hours a day. Deborah Muldoon explains. Continue Reading
A home away from home
Jason Burton and Marlene Grogan describe how Alzheimer’s WA has transformed its day respite services with the Enabling Households model that delivers better outcomes for clients with dementia and carers. Continue Reading
Building staff capacity to provide responsive care
Elizabeth Beattie introduces Dementia Training Australia’s new Responsive Behaviours Consultancy – a staff training program to help residential aged care organisations address and reduce dementia related responsive behaviours. Continue Reading
Tailored to fit
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[…] Richard Fleming describes a care training approach featuring Tailored Training Packages for aged care organisations. Read the article for FREE online. Click here! […]
Re-designing texture modified foods
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[…] LHI Retirement Services in South Australia has improved the mealtime experience for residents with dysphagia by changing the way texture-modified food is presented Read the article for FREE online. Click here! […]
The joy and freedom of dance
One Response to The joy and freedom of dance
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[…] program suitable for people at all stages of dementia living in care homes; Beverley Giles showcases Come Dance With Me, a dance class offering participants the chance for failure-free fun; and Monika Damcevska reports on Vivacity, the ACT’s first dance class for people with dementia and carers. Read the Dancewise article for FREE online. Click here! […]
Taking the risk: strategies to support getting out and about
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[…] Read the article for FREE online. Click here! […]
Nurses can make a difference: caring for those living with dementia
By TEAGAN BEWICK Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Edith Cowan University, WA Dementia is not an ordinary component of normal ageing. Dementia is characterised by a progressive deterioration of cognitive ability, displaying no distinct symptoms during early development but requiring ongoing assessment as it advances (Hunter, 2016). It demands the provision of personalised treatment and is… Continue Reading
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[…] first prize of $2000 in the second-year category for her essay titled Nurses can make a difference. Teagan also won the $300 ELERA Nursing Prize (see separate story). Danica Zhan, Bachelor of Dental […]
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[…] Bewick, T. (2016). Nurses can make a difference: caring for those living with dementia. Retrieved August 9, 2020, from https://journalofdementiacare.com/nurses-can-make-a-difference-caring-for-those-living-with-dementia… […]
Don’t forget the teeth: how can the dental discipline improve the care and well-being of people with dementia?
By DANICA ZHAN Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) University of Queensland Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that manifests as a decline in multiple areas of function, including memory, communication, and behavioural symptoms. Age is a major risk factor for dementia, and with the burgeoning aging population experiencing greater tooth retention, this corresponds to ever-growing… Continue Reading
ELERA Nursing Prize a token of heartfelt gratitude
The $300 ELERA Nursing Prize, won this year by Edith Cowan University student Teagan Bewick, is awarded in honour of the contribution of the nursing profession to the care and support of people living with dementia and their families and in memory of the prize donor’s parents, who both had dementia in late life and… Continue Reading
Using sensory stories with individuals with dementia
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[…] People with dementia are prone to sensory deprivation, but symptoms like irritability and confusion may be reduced by using multisensory life stories. Read it here! […]
New resource helps hospitals focus on the person
Hospitals can be stressful and busy places, where someone with dementia may find communication especially challenging. Often a family carer is needed to help explain (and re-explain) issues to hospital staff, and assist them to understand the usual daily routines, needs, and preferences of the person with dementia. In consultation with consumers and an expert… Continue Reading
The DementiaKT Hub: translating research into practice
Belinda Goodenough and Tracy Higgins introduce The DementiaKT Hub – a new one-stop online destination for the latest research-based dementia resources involving DCRC expertise Seventeen years. This is the time lag calculated by a UK-based team as the average wait for a research discovery to impact upon health-related care and treatments (Morris et al 2011).… Continue Reading
Rethinking respite care
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[…] Filed Under: In this issue…← Rethinking respite care […]
Making air travel easier for people with dementia
Until now, there’s been very little research on the issue of air travel for people with dementia. Maria O’Reilly and Nicole Shepherd are exploring the issue from the perspective of people with dementia, their carers, airport staff and flight crews, to develop guidelines and resources that will make air travel easier Many people have more… Continue Reading
One Response to Making air travel easier for people with dementia
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[…] Making air travel easier: Until now, there’s been very little research on the issue of air travel for people with dementia. Maria O’Reilly and Nicole Shepherd are exploring this issue and developing resources to make air travel easier. Read the article here […]
DTSCs aim to create Australia’s first ‘dementia enabling’ university
Richard Fleming, Lyn Phillipson, Kate Swaffer and Kara Cappetta report on an ambitious pilot project to develop Australia’s first ‘dementia enabling university’, at the University of Wollongong, NSW, where the aim is to inspire and equip students from a range of disciplines to address the growing challenge of dementia … Continue Reading
One Response to DTSCs aim to create Australia’s first ‘dementia enabling’ university
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[…] Enabling Community. and the local University in Wollongong has continued on with a project called Dementia Enabling University Strategy to ensure dementia education become part of all programs […]
Supporting the right to vote
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[…] Supporting residents to vote: Practical advice on how people with dementia living in residential care can be supported to vote. Read the article here: https://journalofdementiacare.com/supporting-the-right-to-vote/ […]
Igniting the Spark of Life
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[…] Filed Under: In this issue…← Shan Crosbie: What are the benefits of engaging with the visual arts in a gallery environment for people living with dementia in Australia?Igniting the Spark of Life → […]
Shan Crosbie: What are the benefits of engaging with the visual arts in a gallery environment for people living with dementia in Australia?
This essay aims to show that an engagement with the discipline of the visual arts has a vital role to play in the development of a dementia-friendly Australia. During my six-week internship at the Learning and Access department of the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), I was enchanted by the ‘Art and Dementia’ program and… Continue Reading
Giverny Witheridge – The dialogue of dementia
Dedicated to my Nonna and Nonno and Nan and Pop – who are living with dementia every day. One of the largest health issues facing older people, their families, service providers and governments in the 21st century is the increasing prevalence of dementia. The term dementia refers to a syndrome caused by disease of the… Continue Reading
Engaging and connecting through music: enablement in practice
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[…] Australian Journal of Dementia Care (AJDC) February /March issue is out now. Read the feature article: Engaging and connecting through music: enablement in […]
Inspiring action: checklist for culture change in aged care
One Response to Inspiring action: checklist for culture change in aged care
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[…] In the feature article, Inspiring action: checklist for culture change in aged care, David Sheard outlines his assessment of the state of culture change in dementia care in Australia, based on findings from the Butterfly Care Homes’ 50-point checklist. Read the article […]
‘We are still gay…’: the needs of LGBT Australians with dementia
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[…] research paper and guide for service providers is published in the Journal of Dementia. The project was produced in partnership with Alzheimer’s […]
DIY guide to creating a sensory room
Aged care organisations and carers interested in learning more about creating and using multi-sensory environments (MSE) for people with dementia will find a wealth of information in a recent guide written by UK researchers Dr Anke Jakob and Dr Lesley Collier. How to make a sensory room for people living with dementia: a guide book… Continue Reading
The freedom to imagine
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[…] Find More Informations here: journalofdementiacare.com/the-freedom-to-imagine/ […]
Playful care: what lies beyond the red nose
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[…] the feature article on Playful Engagement, an award-winning arts and health program for people in the mid- to advanced stages of dementia […]
Well-being: a strengths-based approach to dementia
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[…] Dr G Allen Power has written a feature article in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care looking at a strengths-based approach to dementia […]
Behind bars: the challenge of an ageing prison population
A surge in the number of older people with dementia in Australia’s prisons has created complex ethical, legal and medical issues. AJDC covered the topic in this article in our August/September 2012 issue, looking at the challenges and solutions. Alzheimer’s Australia is continuing the discussion with the release of a new paper, Dementia in Prison.… Continue Reading
The power of language
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[…] The power of language […]
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[…] Language is one area, where simple changes and consideration can make a big difference. You can read more about this in an article by Kate Swaffer, who is living with dementia, in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care. […]
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[…] The power of language is more important than some would dare to believe, and it is not just simple semantics, but can in fact mean the difference between living with fear or living better with dementia, or being willing to accept the changes of dementia or take one’s own life to avoid the advancing symptoms of dementia. Language is very powerful, perhaps even more than those without dementia can even be bothered to imagine. […]
Knowledge translation matters
Belinda Goodenough provides a snapshot of highlights from the recent 2014 National Dementia Research Forum in Sydney. This year’s Dementia Collaborative Research Centres’ (DCRC) annual National Dementia Research Forum offered a smorgasbord of ideas and knowledge exchange on ways to get dementia research into practice and policy. Working together – knowledge translation matters was the… Continue Reading
Dementia and diet: modifiable risk factors and dietary prevention
By Sarah Belton Bachelor of Human Nutrition, University of Canberra Dementia is defined as an insidious and progressive neurodegenerative disease that slowly reduces memory, higher intellectual function, and cognitive performance in general. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of symptoms caused by structural and chemical alterations in the brain, closely linked… Continue Reading
People living with dementia and the built environment
By Holly Keenan Bachelor of Public Health, University of Canberra Introduction Dementia is the term for a group of diseases affecting the brain. Dementia is progressive and irreversible, affecting cognitive, social, emotional and physical functions. Over 30 years, research (Marshall 2001; Fleming, Cookes & Sum 2008; Fleming & Purandare 2010) has proven that dementia-friendly environments… Continue Reading
Occupational therapy and falls prevention for people with dementia
By Monique McIntyre Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Canberra It is estimated that there are over 250,000 Australians living with dementia and this number is predicted to rise to close to one million people by 2050 (Access Economics 2011). Worldwide it is estimated that there are over 35 million people living with dementia and,… Continue Reading
Links between nutrition and dementia
By Serena Shaw Bachelor of Human Nutrition, University of Canberra “Dementia is a mental health disorder that is common in the elderly and has been associated with poor nutritional status”. Dementia is a mental health condition defined by the deterioration in mental cognition with the onset usually occurring later in life1. The disease causes problems… Continue Reading
2 Responses to Links between nutrition and dementia
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[…] Shaw, S. (2014) Links Between Nutrition and Dementia. Australian Journal of Dementia Care. Retrieved from URL: https://journalofdementiacare.com/links-between-nutrition-and-dementia/ […]
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[…] Shaw, S. (2014) Links Between Nutrition and Dementia. Australian Journal of Dementia Care. Retrieved from URL: https://journalofdementiacare.com/links-between-nutrition-and-dementia/ […]
Tapping into the heart of dementia care
By Tamara Keogh Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Canberra “It is not enough to give a patient [person] something to do with his [their] hands. You must reach for the heart as well as the hands. It’s the heart that really does the Healing” (Ruggles as cited in Carlova 1962, p250) Enabling people with… Continue Reading
Dietary Determinants of Dementia
By Brendan Hutchinson Bachelor of Science in Psychology University of Canberra Discuss the following statement providing evidence for nutrition-related factors associated with the development of dementia and translate this evidence into prevention strategies for the disease: “Dementia is a mental health disorder that is common in the elderly and has been associated with poor nutritional… Continue Reading
Public health interventions – dementia
By Brianan Jones Bachelor of Public Health, University of Canberra An estimated 322,000 Australians had dementia in 2013. Based on projections of the country’s population, ageing and growth, the number of people with dementia will reach almost 400,000 by 2020 and around 900,000 by 2050 (AIHW 2013). The care and management of people with dementia… Continue Reading
The role of occupational therapy for people with dementia in prison
By Connie Koh Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Canberra Introduction The growing number of prisoners with dementia presents challenges for the criminal justice system. While the exact percentage of older inmates with dementia is unknown, with figures ranging from 1 to 44 per cent (Maschi et al 2012), some researchers estimate that the prevalence… Continue Reading
Physiotherapist’s role in preventing dementia
Daniel Baltis Master of Physiotherapy, University of Canberra Dementia is currently Australia’s third leading cause of disability burden and is predicted to become the leading cause of disability by 2016 with an estimated threefold increase in people living with dementia to occur by 2050 (AIHW 2006; ABS 2008b). One factor which may contribute to this… Continue Reading
Jumping for Joy: Risk and Dementia
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[…] Excitement, adventure and an element of risk can, and should, be an important part of life for residents in aged care facilities, explains Colin McDonnell, in the latest edition of the Australian Journal of Dementia Care. […]
Invisible carers: Young People Caring for People With Dementia
This diagnosis is devastating for the person with dementia, but how might it impact their child? There are noticeable gaps in the literature about the outcomes for young people living with a parent who has dementia (Svanberg et al 2011). Most of the research to date has investigated the impact of younger onset dementia on… Continue Reading
One Response to Invisible carers: Young People Caring for People With Dementia
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[…] A research project looking at the impact of dementia on younger carers is featured in the latest edition of the Australian Journal of Dementia Care. […]
Men’s Sheds put out the welcome mat
The result was the pilot project called Every Bloke Needs A Shed. This program was a collaborative effort between the Men’s Sheds in the Hunter region, the Australian Men’s Shed Association and Alzheimer’s Australia NSW (project lead) and funded under the Community Builders program with funding from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services.… Continue Reading
One Response to Men’s Sheds put out the welcome mat
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[…] Australian Journal of Dementia Care recently caught-up with Alzheimer’s Australia NSW’s Stuart Torrance about the Every […]
Robots in Dementia Care
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[…] engagement helps reduce anxiety in people with dementia, according to research led by Wendy Moyle at the Griffith Health Institute in Brisbane, Australia. The research split 18 dementia patients […]
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[…] SOURCE: Australian Journal of Dementia Care […]
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[…] AJDC Team. (2013). Robots in dementia care. Retrieved from https://journalofdementiacare.com/robots-in-dementia-care/ […]
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[…] Robots in Dementia Care | Australian Journal of Dementia Care – Professor Wendy Moyle discusses the role of robots in dementia care, particularly the use of companion robots, which her research suggests have the potential to …… […]
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[…] AJDC Team. (2013). Robots in dementia care. Retrieved from https://journalofdementiacare.com/robots-in-dementia-care/ […]
Dementia and the impact of not driving
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[…] Article: Dementia and the impact of not driving, Kate Swaffer […]
Food for thought: Facilitating independence with finger foods
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[…] Food for thought: Facilitating independence with finger foods – Dietician Denise Burbidge discusses finger foods as a flexible, dignified meal option for people with moderate to severe dementia. Aged care workers and people caring …… […]
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[…] READ: Facilitating Independence with Finger Foods: https://journalofdementiacare.com/dementia_finger_foods_menu/ […]
[…] Reablement is a word in an article about John Quinn, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 56, and how he slows and reverses his symptoms. John went through years of darkness until he decided to begin living his life to the fullest. (Australian Journal of Dementia Care, “Putting Reablement into Practice”, March 27, 2020) https://journalofdementiacare.com/putting-reablement-into-practice/ […]