worthwhile recommending to co-workers
(100%).
training was well received and successful in
increasing staff knowledge of person-centred
communication in dementia. Current research
is continuing to expand upon these findings,
first by comparing outcomes between trained
staff and a `usual care' control group, and
second, by exploring the impact of additional
training elements, revision and individualised
feedback, on staff's ability to sustain a change
in communication behaviour.
General Manager, Learning & Development,
Alzheimer's Australia Vic
Christine While
Project Manager, Alzheimer's Australia Vic
Chris Hatherly
National Research Manager, Alzheimer's
Australia National Office
and difficulties with shifting practice to person
centred ways of working create barriers to
achieving the quality outcomes that community
care providers strive to achieve for people
living with dementia.
project that aims to assist community care
providers throughout Australia to improve the
quality of care offered to people with dementia
living in the community.
with academic, consumer and industry experts
and an extensive review of the literature;
Alzheimer's Australia Vic has developed three
resources that will assist community care
providers to implement change that enhances
person-centred approaches to service delivery.
The Guiding VALUEs use the elements of
Valuing people, Autonomy, Life experience,
Understanding relationships and Environment
to describe person-centred care from a
community perspective. The Person-Centred
Community Dementia Support Framework
describes how best practice evidence for
the delivery of person-centred care in the
community can support the consumer and
the workforce ensuring that person-centred
principles permeate the whole organisation by
utilising change management strategies. An
Organisational-Self Assessment Tool draws
on the consumer and employee perspective
to enable the organisation to identify and
prioritise opportunities for strengthening their
structures, systems and processes to provide
person-centred dementia support.
their effectiveness in supporting community
care providers in identifying person-centred
practice and promoting change to achieve
quality outcomes for people living with
dementia.