Description

Welcome to the Introduction to Dementia course of the Understanding Dementia series. This course has been developed to provide an introduction to dementia, give learners a better understanding of what living with dementia is like, and to make working with people affected by dementia more rewarding for carers and those living with dementia. 

Working with people who have dementia is not easy. It can be upsetting, trying and challenging, but it can also be very rewarding and satisfying.

This series is made of up five courses, each providing training in different aspects of dementia care. The aim of this is to provide an understanding of dementia, with the goal of:

• giving you a better understanding of what living with dementia is like, and
• making working with people affected by dementia more rewarding for them and you.

Competency accreditation

The Understanding Dementia series has been developed against the national competency ‘CHCAGE005: Provide support to people living with dementia’.

This unit forms part of Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing Specialisation) and the Certificate IV in Ageing Support qualifications within the Community Services Training Package. If you are currently studying for a Community Services qualification, this series should provide you with the theoretical understanding required to help you achieve the above competency.

To receive a nationally accredited outcome you must successfully complete an assessment of competency with a registered training organisation able to issue this unit of competency within their Scope of Registration. This will need to occur after you have completed this series.

Organisational policies and procedures

It is essential to know and put into practice organisational policies and procedures when assisting people with altered mental capacity. Documentation must comply with organisational policy and procedure and reporting of incidences must be followed at all times. 

Accurate and up-to-date documentation underpins quality service provision. Documentation is completed so information is easily shared between workers and other service providers. Many of the records and documents completed are considered a legal record of the care and support provided.

Documentation must be objective, based on facts and written in plain English. Documentation does not replace verbal reporting of observations to your supervisor – both must be done.

Documentation is maintained by reviewing it regularly to ensure accuracy. When filing documents, it is important to ensure that they are filed in the correct place so that they can easily be accessed.

Throughout this series, Dorothy is the voice of the person with dementia. Dorothy will be appearing every now and then to help you with key points.

Dorothy, like everyone else who has experienced dementia, has a unique insight. This means that she probably has the best understanding of what dementia is like. We need to make sure that we respect and learn from this experience on a day-to-day basis.

Dorothy is used in this course to get you into the habit of really listening to those you support and care for, and to use their experience to improve your knowledge and make sure you understand their needs.

This course, Introduction to Dementia, will cover:

• what dementia is
• the types and causes of dementia
• the difference between confusion and dementia
• conditions people with dementia may develop, and
• the different stages of dementia.

A Certificate of Completion is issued on successful completion of the course and you are required to get an 80% pass mark to be deemed as understanding the content. It is recommended that training is conducted every 2 years to stay refreshed.