Dialogues for Dementia: improving communication and practice in advance care and end of life care planning
This Department of Health and Ageing funded this project was from May 2010 to the end of 2011. A project coordinator and projects officers were recruited in Tasmania and Victoria, with the project being conducted across two aged care facilities in Melbourne and two in Hobart. Ethics approval (HREC) was obtained and key staff collaborators recruited in each the facilities - Dementia-Palliative Care Resource Nurses (DPRNs). Baseline data collection at each of the facilities was completed - these findings provided important information about the capacity of aged care providers to support a palliative approach to care in their facilities and education and informational need of family members of people with dementia and aged care staff. Other key project activities progressed as per the intended timeline. The dementia-palliative care education program collaborated with key people from aged care and palliative care sectors in building the program. A discussion tool entitled Dementia and Dying and other project tools were developed and can be downloaded at the caresearch website.
Research Team:
Professor Michael Ashby (Group Leader)
Dr Sharon Andrews (Contact Person)
Dr Christine Stirling