Dementia

Dementia

The Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at the University of Bradford is conducting a research project regarding your experience of using the elearning for healthcare dementia programmes. This evaluation aims to find out your thoughts on the dementia sessions and the impact the training has had on your knowledge and practice. If you would like to take part in the evaluation, we are asking you to complete a short survey before completing a session and another short survey after completing your session. There will be separate surveys for each session you complete. We will also be conducting telephone interviews with up to 20 people with regards to how the sessions have had an impact on practice. For further information please contact Dr Janet McNally.

The elearning programme in Dementia Care has been designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce. It focuses on the essential knowledge and skills needed to support and enable people living with dementia and their family carers to live as well as possible, wherever they live.

The programme will also be of interest to those responsible for training and educating the health and social care workforce. It can be used in a variety of ways including as part of induction; to structure reflective practice with individual staff and teams; for self-paced learning; and to revisit as a form of refresher training.

The programme directly addresses the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 by covering all aspects of care for people living with dementia and their family members, from prevention and risk reduction to diagnosis through to bereavement. It emphasises the importance of adopting the perspective and experience of those directly affected by dementia – people living with dementia and their family and friends – and ensuring effective support is provided to health and social care professionals charged with providing compassionate, co-ordinated, evidence-based person-centred dementia care.

More information

The programme is a resource to help with implementation of the following:

• NICE guideline 97. Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers (NICE, 2018)
• The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 (Department of Health, 2015)
• The Dementia Training Standards Framework (Department of Health, 2018)

The programme is consistent with relevant legislation, including that regarding human rights such as the:

• Equality Act (2010)
• Carers Act (2014)
• Mental Capacity Act (2005)

The programme is aligned with the Dementia Action Alliance Dementia Statements.

The elearning sessions follow the Dementia Training Standards Framework. The Dementia Awareness session addresses tier 1 of the framework and the final session 02_13 Leadership in Transforming Dementia Care addresses tier 3; all of the other sessions address tier 2.

The programme draws on a rich and diverse evidence base including personal testimony – the voice of the person living with dementia and their family carers – national and international care and services research, and professional and clinical best practice. The content reinforces the importance of dementia being everyone’s business and the importance of having a workforce that is both well-informed and supported to provide high quality, compassionate care.

Module 1

This module provides an introduction to living with dementia. The sessions explore the various types of dementia, influences on living with dementia plus draws on key principles in person-centred dementia care. It contains two elearning sessions:

• Dementia awareness
• Person-centred dementia care

Module 2

This module describes how the health and social care workforce can enable people to live well with dementia, covering a range of topics across a range of settings, in the context of diverse communities and current legislation. It contains 12 elearning sessions:

• Dementia identification, assessment and diagnosis
• Dementia risk, reduction and prevention
• Communication, interaction and behaviour in dementia care
• Health and well-being in dementia care
• Pharmacological interventions in dementia care
• Living well with dementia and promoting independence
• Families and carers as partners in dementia care
• Equality, diversity and inclusion in dementia care
• Law, ethics and safeguarding in dementia care
• End of life dementia care
• Research and evidence-based practice in dementia
• Leadership in transforming dementia care

Dementia - elearning for healthcare