WA Dementia Training Study Centre
for Health-Care Professionals

DEMENTIA NETWORKING SEMINAR SERIES

Welcome to the Dementia Networking Series. These presentations are focused on the learning needs of Health Care Professionals caring for people living with dementia in residential, community and acute care environments. The aim of these presentations is to give relevant, practical information on caring for someone living with dementia, which learners can then apply to their workplace. The focus of this series is increase awareness and knowledge concerning certain dementia related issues, and to facilitate continued learning in dementia care. These one hour seminars are run on an approximately monthly basis, generally in the Perth metropolitan area. Where feasible, they are sometimes also run in locations outside Perth (e.g. regional towns).

2009 Series:

1. Speaker: Professor Barbara Horner
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=31739
   Barbara Horner discussed the use of assistive technology (AT) and listed some of its benefits:
   
   • Assist health care professionals to manage data and improve communication
   • Assist in the monitoring and treatment of chronic conditions
   • Enable the delivering of services beyond the walls of a health institution
   • Facilitate responses to a critical event
   • However when considering AT use it is important to outline the problem and the functionality sought to ensure that the product addresses the identified issues.

   An abstract of the article is available at:
   http://journals.lww.com/ajgponline/Abstract/2009/02000/Intelligent_Assistive_Technology_Applications_to.2.aspx
   
   

2. Speaker: Dee Sutcliff
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=31881
   Dee discusses incontinence with people living with dementia and specifically:
   
   • Describes what is meant by continence care
   • Describes the effects of dementia on bladder and bowel function, including incontinence
   • Lists ways in which continence care can be improved for the person with dementia
     
     
3. Speakers: Jo Bower and Arianne Cummins
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=32479
   Jo and Arianne talk about the importance of self care for health care professionals and discuss:
   • Why self care is important
   • How to resist and manage messages of stress
   • How to relax using some simple relaxation exercises
     
     
4. Speaker: Malcolm Hare
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=33276
   Malcolm Hare discusses the assessment and management of delirium and discusses:
   • What is delirium and what are the risk factors
   • How to differentiate delirium from depression and dementia
   • Use of the Confusion Assessment Method with AMT to identify likely delirium
   • How to identify appropriate non-pharmacological interventions
   • What are the pharmacological management options
     
     
5. Speaker: Dr Maria Foundas
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=33596
   Dr Maria Foundas is a Consultant Physician at Royal Perth Hospital and delivers an overview of dementia management. Specifically she discussed:
   • Overview of Dementia
   • Neuroanatomy and functional correlates
   • Dementia subtypes
   • Assessment for dementia
   • Options for care and treatment
   • Support for carers
   • Palliative care
     
     
6. Speakers: Anne Pike, Dianne Barker and Melissa Jones
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=33668
   Anne, Dianne and Melissa discuss a variety of issues related to elder abuse, with a focus on people with dementia. A number of case studies are presented as a basis for discussion. Specific topics covered include:
   • the role of Advocare
   • types of elder abuse, signs and risk factors
   • signs and risk factors related to people with dementia
   • the Aged Care Act and security of tenure
   • other useful resources
     
     
7. Speaker: Philippa Wharton
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=36076
   Title: Restraint across the Aged Care Spectrum
   Philippa provides an overview of restraint, including its use historically and currently. Various alternatives to the use of restraint are also considered, and some case scenarios presented. Specific topics covered in the session include:
   • the meaning of restraint
   • types of restraint
   • current practice related to the use of restraint
   • factors leading to the use of restraint
   • alternatives to restraints
     
     
8. Speaker: Thomas Fischer
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=44366
   Title: Pain and Behaviour in Persons with Dementia
   In this seminar, a joint initiative between WADTSC and the AAG (WA), Thomas Fischer speaks about a range of issues related to pain, its assessment and management, drawing on relevant research evidence as appropriate. Specific issues covered include:
   • Methods of pain assessment for people with mild to moderate dementia
   • Pain assessment for people with severe dementia
   • Common pain behaviours (including facial expressions and their significance when assessing pain)
   • Clinical practice guidelines for pain management
     
     
9. Speaker: Saloni Shah
   http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=44803
   Title: Treating the Symptoms of Dementia
   Using a case scenario as a basis, Saloni talks about different ways of treating dementia symptoms. Specific issues covered include:
   • Non-pharmacological strategies
   • Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine: their benefits and effectiveness
   • Antipsychotics
   • The importance of medication reviews
     
     It should be noted that during the course of this presentation, Saloni refers to a number of handouts. For 'completeness', these have been included along with the slides that accompany the ilecture, however cannot be easily read. For those wishing to obtain copies of this information, specific details of the handouts and the organizations responsible for their development are as follows:
     • National Prescribing Service (NPS)
       Treating the symptoms of dementia
       www.nps.org.au Email: info@nps.org.au
     • Alzheimer's Australia WA:
       2008 Courses, workshops and programs for people with dementia, families, friends and the WA community
       2008 WA Dementia and Memory Community Centre: Free community-based education, activities and seminars
       2008 Free dementia education courses and workshops for people working in aged care
       www.alzheimers.asn.au Email: alzwa@alzheimers.asn.au
       
       
10. Speakers: Karen Malone and Louise Jones
    http://dbs.ilectures.curtin.edu.au/lectopia/lectopia.lasso?ut=986&id=45225
    Title: The impact of the Environment on Behaviour; It doesn't cost much to make a change
    Karen and Louise work as behaviour consultants with the WA Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service (DBMAS). In their presentation they discuss various issues related to the potential impact of the environment on a person with dementia, including ways in which that environment might be modified to enhance the person's well-being. Key topics covered include:
• People's perceptions of their environment as they age
• The shrinking environment of a person with dementia
• The 'person-environment' model and the impact of an imbalance between them
• Behavioural impacts of a poor physical environment and strategies for addressing these
  
  

Archived Series:

Please check out our archived Networking series here.

Topics covered include:

• Assessment
• Diagnosis
• Management
• Indigenous Dementia Care
• Dementia Programs