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Dementia care should be core business for aged care services

In March 2021 the final report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was tabled in Australian parliament. This inquiry commenced in 2018 and has included over 10,000 submissions made by Australians impacted by aged care.

Dementia care should be core business for aged care services, and particularly residential aged care services. Over half of people living in residential aged care have a diagnosis of dementia.

Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Final Report Volume 1 Page 69.

This report concluded that all too often, and despite best intentions, many aged care workers simply do not have the requisite time, knowledge, skill and support to deliver high quality care, and that substandard dementia care was a persistent theme during the inquiry.

We acknowledge the dedicated staff who care for our aged population, and agree that frequently, care is suboptimal due to a lack of knowledge. The skills and capacity required to care adequately for people living with dementia, we believe, should be developed in everyone involved in a care role, and those in administrative positions in the care sector. 

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre is once again able to offer our Diploma of Dementia Care as a fully HECS-waived online course to eligible students. Please consider applying for your place in the Diploma, and make a difference, and increase the quality of life of those living in residential care or receiving community care. 

We hope that the commission findings shine a light on these critical needs, as the prevalence of dementia increases each year. The Wicking Dementia Centre is proud to contribute to better dementia care through our education and our research programs and we hope to maintain continued engagement with other education providers in the sector and the federal government around their commitment to improving the lives of those living with dementia.