Dementia Seminars

DEMENTIA CARE COMMITMENT SEMINARS

History
In May 1993 a public meeting was held which included carers, health professionals and community workers. The outcome of that meeting was the establishment of a training sub-committee which identified the need for free training for family members, volunteers and paid staff who care for people with memory loss or confusion. Today this sub-committee has developed into what is referred to as The Dementia Care Commitment Programme Committee.

Committee Membership
Currently the organisations and individuals who are members of the committee are:  

• St Vincent ’s Community Heath Service
• Prince of Wales Community Health Service
• Prince of Wales Old Age Psychiatry
• St Luke’s Hospital
• South East Sydney Commonwealth Carer Respite Centre (The Benevolent Society)
• Home Care Services of NSW (Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care)
• Dementia Advisory Service - Eastern Sydney & City of Sydney
• OT experienced in Dementia currently in Private Practice
• Little Sisters of the Poor, Aged Care facility who allow the use of their Auditorium
• Membership is open to all who work in, or have an interest in Dementia

The Seminar model

The Dementia Care Commitment Programme is a simple model, one of delivering information in the form of seminars.
Six Seminars are held yearly. Each Seminar has two sessions, one on a Monday morning and repeated the following Monday evening.

Click on the following links for details. (Adobe Reader required to view the documents linked below - download it for free here)

Seminar Flyers
2013 Free Dementia Information Seminars   

Series 1
Understanding Dementia    
Communication and Behaviours of Concern    
Sudden Confusion & Planning

Series 2
Understanding Dementia    
Communication and Behaviours of Concern       
Sudden Confusion & Planning      
 

Who are the presenters?
Presenters are primarily drawn from a number of areas within the Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s Hospitals and their respective Community Health Service. All work in the Service Provision for Aged Care and/or Dementia.

Some of the areas presenters are drawn from include, but not limited to, Psycho-geriatricians, Geriatricians, Dementia Clinical Nurses, Aged Care Clinical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Speech Pathologists, and Continence Clinical Nurses.

Other presenters are also drawn from Carer groups and Non-Government Organisations who deliver Dementia Services.

Who can attend?
Spouses, partners, children, brothers, sisters, any family member who interacts in any way with a person with dementia (PWD), volunteers and paid workers from within the Aged Care industry who work with, or have an interest in Dementia.

The majority of attendees are family members and carers. Some have been attending for many years and each time they learn something different. However there is a very good representation from In-Home and Community Aged Care Package (CACP) Service Providers, Day Centres, Support Groups, other Community Organisations, Nursing Homes and Hostels, and Hospitals. All actively support the attendance of staff.

In a caring life cycle there are different points at which information is relevant and we support people attending as often as they feel the need.

What is taken away?
Participants are given broad information on many aspects of dementia, and some specific issues carers need to consider such as Respite Services and Support Groups. They also go away with resources to assist them plan for the future, and give them the tools to access further information if required.

There is also an opportunity for carers to meet the health and community services to ask questions, as well as network with other Carers.