Dementia education for GPs and PNs
It is recommended that all staff who work with people with dementia receive dementia-care training relevant to their role. Training to help optimise the care for people with dementia. [1]
Training should cover:
- Communicating effectively with the person with dementia, their carer(s) and family;
- Recognising, preventing and managing behavioural and psychological symptoms;
- Principles of person-centred care and how this is applied in practice; and
- Preventing and managing suspected abuse or neglect.
See Dementia Australia for clinical tools and training resources.
The following training resources relevant to the care of people with dementia are available online:
Free on-line education
- Understanding Dementia and Preventing Dementia. Massive Online Open Courses. University of Tasmania, Wicking Institute.
- Dementia Training Australia. NSW/ACT Dementia Training Study Centre
- Four Steps to Building Dementia Practice in Primary Care online learning series. Alzheimer’s Australia. Hosted by Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association.​
- How to use the sMMSE.
Dementia Practice Guidelines
- Clinical Practice Guidelines and Principles of Care for People with Dementia. NHMRC Partnership Centre for Dealing with Cognitive and Related Functional Decline in Older People 2016.
- Dementia Language Guidelines
Health Pathways
- Western Victoria Primary Health Network Healthpathways.
Dementia health professional educational resources
- 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer’s Dementia. Alzheimer’s Association.
- The Brain and Dementia. Alzheimer’s Society.
- 14 essentials for good dementia care in general practice. The University of New South Wales, as represented by the Dementia Collaborative Research Centre – Assessment and Better Care 2011
- Understanding differential diagnosis (North West Dementia Centre)
- The Memory Handbook – A practical guide to living with memory problems
Dementia and chronic conditions
- People with dementia have on average four other chronic diseases. Practical tips to aid better care is in the article.
Assessment tools
- Dementia Training Australia. Dementia Outcomes Measurement Suite
- Dementia Australia - Cognitive screening and assessment
1. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Dementia in Australia: Recommendations 2016