industry & policy
One way to
do things
The new dementia behaviour
management and training
services look to spread
consistent expertise and
capacity nationwide.
Stephen Judd interviewed by Dallas Bastian
14 agedcareinsite.com.au
T
he assistant minister for health
and aged care, Ken Wyatt, has
announced the organisations that
will deliver a national dementia behaviour
management service and a streamlined
training program.
Wyatt says the new arrangements will
replace the current services, delivered
by multiple providers across the country,
with the aim of increasing consistency of
dementia support.
“In January this year, [health minister
Sussan] Ley announced a redesign of
dementia programs, based on the findings
of the Analysis of Dementia Programs
report in 2015,” Wyatt says. “The redesign
included a single national provider for the
Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory
Service [DBMAS], to provide specialist clinical
support services, advice and information
to those caring for people with dementia;
and streamlining the current Dementia
Study Training Centres and Dementia Care
Essentials Program into a single national
Dementia Training Program.”
A consortium led by HammondCare was
selected to deliver the Dementia Behaviour
Management Advisory Service (DBMAS),
whilst a University of Wollongong-led
consortium will spearhead the Dementia
Training Program.
HammondCare chief executive Dr
Stephen Judd says the consortium leading
DBMAS – which includes Australian
Regional & Remote Community Services,
Blue Care and Aged Care Channel amongst
others – will provide a nationally consistent
approach to offering a tailored service for
the person with dementia.
Judd says it also aims to build capacity
and knowledge across the sector through
extensive sharing of advice and expertise.
The Dementia Training Australia (DTA)
consortium, which will head the national
Dementia Training Program, will be led
by professor Richard Fleming from the
University of Wollongong.
Fleming says UoW and its DTA partners
will build on the experience they have
gained operating the Dementia Training
Study Centres and the Dementia Care
Essentials program for the last nine years
and from developing a healthcare Massive
Open Online Course.
He says: “This unique collaboration and
Australia-wide coverage ensures the next
generation of dementia training is based
on the most up-to-date evidence and is
delivered in the most readily accessible
ways to aged and health personnel right
across Australia.”