University of Tasmania, Australia

Why study the Associate Degree in Dementia Care?

The Associate Degree in Dementia Care is an initiative of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre in the Faculty of Health Science. The Associate Degree in Dementia Care is being delivered by UTAS in partnership with ACSA Tasmania and ACSA New South Wales from November 2012. The course specifically aims to target current workers in the field of aged and dementia care to improve the quality of care in this sector. Students learn to understand the brain and the process of dementia and to relate this to the rationale for providing the very best approach to care, directly linking evidence-based practice with education of the workforce.

The next intake of students will be in July 2013.

Core units will be taught at UTAS through the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the School of Medicine. Workplace units will be taught in conjunction with ACSA Tasmania and ACSA New South Wales providers.

Applications are welcome from any Australian resident, however, there are no HECS fees for this course when you enrol through your workplace as a member of Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) and you have the support of your employer.

In partnership with ACSA Tasmania and ACSA New South Wales

First of its kind

This is the first course of its kind in Australia and for the first time brings together the disciplines of neuroscience and social science, as applied to care for people with dementia. This associate degree will be offered in partnership with ACSA Tasmania and ACSA New South Wales to ensure that the current aged and dementia care workforce will benefit directly from high quality evidence-based care research that translates into improved care for people with dementia.

Opportunity

Course completion of the associate degree will advance the provision of quality care for people with dementia and will have the opportunity to disseminate knowledge that will inform practice. The associate degree offers vocational training allied with evidence-based learning and the possibility to move on to higher degree programs. In an ageing population the workforce is set to expand significantly in the short to medium term future, and graduates will have the opportunity to be involved in the changing scope of dementia care practice from the outset, both in terms of providing quality care and in directing policy of dementia care at a local, state and national level.

Refer to the course brochure (PDF 589 KB) for more information.