Date published: 
23 July 2020
Type: 
Newsletter
Intended Audience: 
Health sector

Join online Dementia Community of Practice

There is a growing need for high quality dementia care. Over 459,000 people in Australia live with dementia and more are diagnosed each day.

Dementia Australia invites people working in residential or community aged care to participate in a Dementia Community of Practice pilot. Your participation will help transform dementia care and improve practice.

The pilot will give you opportunities to:

  • develop mutual support networks
  • access useful training via virtual classrooms
  • meet online to share and access knowledge about dementia care
  • learn about improvements in dementia care
  • receive support to implement change.

Visit Dementia Australia’s Centre for Dementia Learning to check your eligibility and register for the online pilot.

Update on the Specialist Dementia Care Program

The Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) supports people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia who cannot be cared for in a mainstream aged care facility.

Under the SDCP, a prototype unit opened in Inglewood, Perth in September 2019. As a result of the first funding round a further nine units are opening in 2020. These units are in eight Primary Health Network regions.

Referrals can now be made via the Dementia Support Australia website to units in:

  • Adelaide (Felixstowe)
  • Australian Capital Territory (Weston)
  • Brisbane North (Taigum)
  • Brisbane South (Upper Mt Gravatt)
  • Hunter New England and Central Coast (Cardiff)
  • North Queensland (Mackay)
  • Perth North (Inglewood)
  • South Eastern Melbourne (Caulfield)
  • North Western Melbourne (Flemington and Sunshine North).

We will provide details about the phase two funding opportunity when it becomes available.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, view the Specialist Dementia Care Program page.

National Congress on food, nutrition and the dining experience in aged care homes

The department is partnering with the Maggie Beer Foundation to deliver a National Congress on food, nutrition and the dining experience in aged care. The Congress aims to find innovative options to improve nutrition and the food experience for older Australians in aged care services.

The Congress will bring together a select group of experts and stakeholders to connect current expert views and resources. Experiences from large and small providers, experts from national bodies and the food industry, will be showcased.

In preparation for the Congress, we will be conducting a Survey of Food, Nutrition and the Dining Experience in Australian Aged Care Homes. This survey will be part of a comprehensive review and will inform discussions at the Congress.

More details on the survey will be provided soon.

Home Care Packages Program data report 3rd quarter 2019-20

The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, and Minister for Youth and Sport, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, has released the Home Care Packages Program Data Report covering the period from 1 January to 31 March 2020.

The report is available from the AIHW GEN aged care data website.

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