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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
