Consortium emerges as national leader implementing research driven education innovation in dementia care

A national approach to dementia training and education led by UOW is the result of an ongoing partnership of five universities and Alzheimer’s Australia.

In October 2016, following a rigorous three-stage competitive open tender selection process, the Australian Department of Health announced a national consortium called Dementia Training Australia (DTA), led by UOW, had been awarded the $27.9M contract to deliver a new national training program for the dementia care workforce, replacing the state Dementia Training Study Centres and the Dementia Care Essentials Program.

Dementia Training Australia brings together the expertise of Australia’s leading dementia educators and trainers from five universities with Alzheimer’s Australia. It includes a network of partnerships based projects driven by links with industry, such as aged care providers, in the core business of translating science in practice.

A key strength of DTA is its research partnerships. Access to latest research reduces ‘lag’ in new evidence becoming practice, enabling workforce education and resources to be informed by latest research.

Priority topic areas for DTA include identifying factors in education design and delivery which accelerate knowledge translation outcomes in dementia care; comparing ‘dementia literacy’ outcomes for workforce education innovations across different settings; and investigating regional differences in uptake, impact, and satisfaction with remote delivery modalities.

DTA is committed to ensuring its work is impactful and translatable via a Knowledge Translation Framework and Impact Tool.

Consortium members publish in academic journals, including the Australian Journal of Dementia Care, a multidisciplinary journal for all professional staff working with people with dementia to better link research with practice.

The consortium builds upon the foundational work of state-based Dementia Training Study Centres (DTSC) – including the award winning Designing for People with Dementia service – which had operated since 2009 to provide education and professional development for the workforce providing care to people living with dementia.

“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,” said UOW’s Professor Richard Fleming.