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
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
Re-designing texture modified foods
John Boland explains how LHI Retirement Services in South Australia has improved the mealtime experience for residents with dysphagia by changing the way texture-modified food is presented It is often said we eat with our eyes; the very first experience in the meal and dining process is the aromas emanating from the kitchen, together with… Continue Reading
The joy and freedom of dance
Gwen Korebrits, Amy Gajjar and Sarah Palmer introduce Dancewise, a movement program suitable for people at all stages of dementia who are living in care homes The Dance Health Alliance is a not-forprofit organisation which delivers a movement program in Australia developed specifically for people with a wide range of physical and cognitive challenges,… Continue Reading
Taking the risk: strategies to support getting out and about
How do aged care organisations balance their duty of care with the needs of people with dementia to continue to explore, understand their environment and remain as independent as possible? Rae Blackledge explains the creative strategies used at Elizabeth Lodge, in Sydney’s Kings Cross, to ‘bring the outside in’ and also enable residents to leave… Continue Reading
Staff engagement and upskilling enhances job, care quality
WA’s Brightwater Care Group has designed and implemented a workplace innovation, incorporating well-being mapping, which has shown tangible benefits in terms of the job quality of care workers and the quality of care. Wendy Hudson and Sue Jarrad report Direct care workers form the majority of the aged care workforce and are critical to the… Continue Reading
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
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
People with dementia are prone to sensory deprivation, but symptoms like irritability and confusion may be reduced by using multisensory life stories. Rebecca Leighton, Coralie Oddy and Joanna Grace describe two successful approaches to sensory life story work Download the Article: Click Here (PDF) A ‘sensory story’ is a concise narrative in which each section… Continue Reading
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
Lyn Phillipson reports on an innovative project that is designed to support carers and people living with dementia to use respite services, as well as addressing the low uptake for these services Caring for a family member with dementia can be a positive experience (Carbonneau & Desrosiers 2010). However, caring for someone with dementia has… Continue Reading
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
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
Supporting the right to vote
With Australia’s Federal election to be held on July 2 this year, Bridget Howes considers how people living with dementia in residential aged care can be supported to exercise their right to vote. The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency accreditation standards require that aged care residents are able to exercise civic legal and consumer rights… Continue Reading
Igniting the Spark of Life
Five years after adopting the Spark of Life Philosophy to dementia care and three years after becoming the world’s first Spark of Life Centre of Excellence, New Zealand’s Mercy Parklands aged care home is continuing to report positive outcomes for residents with dementia, their families and staff. Helen Delmonte explains. Between 50-60% of our 97… Continue Reading
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
Kirsty Beilharz is leading a program which makes music an integral part of relationship building and engagement for people with dementia by embedding it into the daily routine of residential life. In April 2014, HammondCare commenced a music engagement program with a particular focus on helping people living with dementia and enabling care staff to… Continue Reading
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 After presenting (via Skype) at the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency’s Better Practices Conferences in 2014, Dementia Care Matters Director of Learning Peter Priednieks and I arrived in Australia… Continue Reading
‘We are still gay…’: the needs of LGBT Australians with dementia
Catherine Barrett, Pauline Crameri, Sally Lambourne and JR Latham report on the results of their ground-breaking research into the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) Australians living with dementia. The experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) Australians living with dementia have not previously been researched. This… Continue Reading
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
Using one-page profiles to create care plans
Gill Bailey and Tanya Clover explain how one-page profiles can be used to deliver true person-centred care Pioneers of the principles of normalisation such as Bengt Nirje and Wolf Wolfensberger argued that disabled members of society deserve an equal standing and should be held with the same regard as those without disability. Person-centred thinking tools… Continue Reading
The freedom to imagine
Susan Shortridge describes a creative storytelling program that allows people with dementia to communicate in imaginative ways Creating an environment in which people with dementia are invited to express themselves imaginatively, without judgment, reflects an important aspect of the person-centred care approach to health and well-being. The process of creative engagement can allow people with… Continue Reading
Playful care: what lies beyond the red nose
Michael Balfour, Kirsty Martin, Julie Dunn, Wendy Moyle, Marie Cooke and Judy Wollin discuss their work with Playful Engagement, an award-winning arts and health program for people in the mid- to advanced stages of dementia. Playful Engagement is an award-winning Australian arts and health partnership that seeks to affirm and celebrate personal identity, boost confidence… Continue Reading
Every picture tells a story
As part of a series of articles looking at the role of art in releasing the creative potential of people with dementia, John Killick showcases the work of Australia’s Dr Julie Gross McAdam, founder of the McAdam Aged Care Art Recreation Therapy (MAC.ART) program. It involves participants translating their life stories into beautiful artworks, including… Continue Reading
Well-being: a strengths-based approach to dementia
G Allen Power discusses why the person-centred care philosophy has failed to become a reality for so many people and suggests alternatives to traditional approaches to dementia care The past two decades have seen the emergence of two parallel tracks of thought revolving around ageing issues. The first, usually credited to the late Tom Kitwood,… Continue Reading
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
Changing the disrespectful and disempowering language often used to refer to people with dementia will help remove discrimination, stigma and isolation, writes Kate Swaffer. Language is powerful and important in discussions around providing person-centred care to people with dementia in a way that shows respect and dignity for the person. I often feel there is… Continue Reading
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
Beyond bingo: tailoring lifestyle activities for people with dementia
Liz Miles and Heather Campbell discuss a successful national workshop program offering Diversional Therapists hands-on learning in music and art therapy, aromatherapy and life story work for people with dementia. While bingo may well have a place as an enjoyable activity in the life of many people, including those with dementia, for some it also… 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
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
Dementia-friendly communities: Kiama project leads the way
Lyn Phillipson and Glenn Rees discuss a new project launched in Kiama, NSW, which has the potential to change the way people with dementia in Australia interact with their social and physical environments A diagnosis of dementia often brings with it social isolation, stigma and discrimination. Alzheimer’s Australia is working to tackle these issues through helping… Continue Reading
Changing the Image of Care
Fiona Calvert describes the mission of internationally renowned photographer Cathy Greenblat and her experience in the life-embracing environment of Australia’s Starrett Lodge. After 35 years as a Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University in the United States, Cathy Greenblat took an early retirement and decided to pursue her interest in photography. Over a decade later,… Continue Reading
Jumping for Joy: Risk and Dementia
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. Allan Rigby, 94, is a man who has lived a full life; he served in World War II, both within Australia and around the islands in the Pacific, and also… Continue Reading
Dementia-friendly communities: what consumers really want
How can communities become more accessible and supportive for people living with dementia? A series of Dementia Friendly Communities Consumer Forums in Adelaide has generated plenty of suggestions from people with dementia, carers, family members and service providers, Kathryn Cunningham (pictured) explains. “It’s a lonely and frustrating disease,” says David Anderson, a South Australian resident living with… Continue Reading
Invisible carers: Young People Caring for People With Dementia
Karen Hutchinson, Chris Roberts and Susan Kurrle discuss a research project recording the difficult journeys of young people caring for a parent with younger onset dementia Some readers might be surprised to see an article about young people in this journal, but dementia can impact on people of every age. Most often, young people under… Continue Reading
Men’s Sheds put out the welcome mat
Stuart Torrance talks about the Every Bloke Needs A Shed program in NSW’s Hunter region for Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, which is giving men with early stage dementia a space to call their own Men are generally in the minority in aged care. According to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most… Continue Reading
Robots in 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 improve mood and quality of life of people with dementia. As a child I would run and hide behind the sofa whenever Dr Who came on television. Even though Dr Who… Continue Reading
Dementia and the impact of not driving
Kate Swaffer, who lives with younger onset dementia, explains why, despite her sense of loss and grief at losing her licence, she believes people with dementia should not be allowed to drive. Driving is a powerful symbol of competence and independence and a routine part of adult life. As a person living with a diagnosis… Continue Reading
Recognising the needs underlying aggressive behaviour in people with dementia
Louise Appleton writes about her experience as part of a team who developed a range of person-centred diagnostic tools to better support residents at Kensington Park Aged Care Home, a high-care facility in Perth. Kensington Park, operated by Hall & Prior, is a secure 48-bed residential aged care facility in Perth which specialises in dementia… Continue Reading
Sensory Towels
Jo Bozin explains how a simple award-winning aromatherapy program has improved the mealtime experience for residents and staff in one Melbourne residential facility While working mornings and early afternoons at Bupa Thomastown in February 2011, I noticed a lot of uneaten food returning to the kitchen after lunchtimes. Eating is an integral part of everyone’s… Continue Reading
Music program hits the right note
James Baldwin reports on a community services program that is supporting carers and people with dementia through the use of personalised MP3 music players A community services program being run by Southern Cross Care in Victoria is helping people living with dementia relax with their favourite music, stored on an MP3 player. The MP3 player… Continue Reading
Stories to tell
A creative multi-media project which celebrates the lives of people with dementia, Interactive Life Stories, is recording the narratives of residents at BCS Maranoa in Alstonville, NSW, explains James Baldwin Baptist Community Services (BCS) Maranoa has taken on the challenge of using movie making software to record the life stories of people with dementia. With… Continue Reading
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 for a loved one with dementia know that a nutritious, balanced diet is vital in maintaining body weight, hydration and general well-being. However, achieving a balanced diet for people with dementia… Continue Reading
