particularly in regard to dementia education
include the use of bilingual models that can
be adapted in mainstream organisations,
working with religious leaders, partnerships
between services and communities, the
use of technology and cultural competency
training for staff. Additional research needs
to take place in this area as there is limited
Australian literature on this issue and overseas
literature is not always applicable to the local
context. A number of studies have suggested
CALD communities understand dementia in a
variety of ways ranging from old age, to being
associated with significant stigma (madness) to
a medical condition. As a result of construing
dementia differently, unfamiliarity with western
health services and lack of information about
dementia in their own language some families
do not seek help until a crisis occurs. The
presentation will seek to raise and address
some of the needs of CALD communities in
rural and regional Australia.
content, cautions and participant feedback
of a brief training intervention for dementia
care workers called Thinking with the heart:
emotional intelligence in dementia care. The
workshop is based on a training module
created by Ruckdeschel and Van Haitsma
(2004), which has been adapted for use in the
Australian context by Holly Markwell and Rob
Crouch.
care workers with knowledge of dementia and
of the person with dementia. A key aspect of
seeing a situation from another's perspective
is awareness of the other person's emotions.
Awareness of this kind provides the opportunity
and foundation to respond appropriately within
the interaction, and with empathy. However,
if care workers lack awareness of their own
emotions, their capacity to recognise and
respond to their client's emotions is brought
into question. Care workers who develop
intrapersonal competence and skills in self
reflection will be better equipped to respond
sensitively to the emotions of people with
dementia. The challenge for providers of
dementia care training is to inspire care workers
to develop their emotional intelligence for
both theirs and their client's benefit. Although
emotional intelligence in nursing education is
not without controversy, it represents a positive
avenue of support and development for care
workers who are at the nexus of emotionally
charged interactions in residential care facilities
every day.
McCarthy Psychology Services
public health and the provision of care for people
with dementia living independently with the
support of paid carers is increasing dramatically.
The advent of common standards and a concern
for the quality of care delivered to people living
independently with dementia has focussed
efforts on developing a mechanism to promote
the development of staff skills in home-based
dementia care. Dementia Care Mapping which
is traditionally used in a residential or day-
care setting has now been adapted for use in