To coincide with Dementia Australia's 2023 Dementia Action Week,
AAG with HammondCare are delighted to present:

Caring for dementia at home - a continuum of relationships and care  

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety emphasised how important it was to create pathways and supports for people with dementia, to live at home for as long as possible. Within that carers needed access to navigate systems and access appropriate respite. For many carers, respite was seen as a negative support rather than a necessary option that actually enabled wellbeing and ongoing care at home. And the unfortunate consequence of supporting complex care needs means for residential care providers they now use residential respite as a ‘try before you buy’ approach rather than being used to facilitate much-needed breaks in caring arrangements. A perfect storm in the care continuum.

This webinar will unpack the numbers and impact of people living with dementia in home and community environments, what that means across the broad and diverse Australian populations. From regional and rural to metro settings what is the optimal support that can be provided and when more care is needed what are the options. Exploring the innovative Staying at Home program which was developed in recognition of the multiple barriers to accessing respite services will showcase the ability to instil a sense of confidence in family carers to use respite, increase their capacity to understand changes to behaviour, and support carer wellbeing, whilst providing support and learning for the person living with dementia. Transitions in care and optimal clinical and community supports will be explored and participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the role of dementia behaviour programs in supporting people to stay at home, whilst recognising that dementia impacts us all.

• Understand the impact of dementia at home
  
• Explore the barriers to accessing home care supports including respite and the impact
  
• Consider the evolution of carer needs in the current demographics 
  
• Develop an understanding of behaviour changes related to dementia in the community setting and service to support
  

Our panellists:

Steve Macfarlane
Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Support Australia
Steve Macfarlane became a psychiatrist in 2003, and was appointed Director of Aged Psychiatry at Peninsula Health in 2005. He moved to Alfred Health in 2008 as Associate Professor and Director of Aged Psychiatry, before becoming Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Support Australia in 2016.
His work with DSA has him overseeing a group of medical specialists around the country. He was intimately involved in developing the Specialist Dementia Care Program and with the Aged Care Royal Commission.

Holly Markwell
National Program Manager for Dementia Support Australia’s Staying at Home Program
Holly Markwell is the National Program Manager for Dementia Support Australia’s Staying at Home Program and specialised teams which support implementation of tailored engagement and supportive care strategies for people living with dementia. She has an extensive background in learning and development including digital content creation, workshop facilitation and professional development programming.

Tom Gauci
Regional Manager with Dementia Support Australia
Tom Gauci is Regional Manager with Dementia Support Australia and has been intimately involved in the development and delivery of the national carer wellbeing and respite program, Staying at Home. In addition, Tom supports the national DSA implementation teams including dementia care coaches and engagement consultants. Tom has a clinical background in speech pathology with over a decade of experience supporting with people living with dementia and their family carers across the continuum of care.

Hosted by:

Jenny Summerton
National Program Manager - Dementia Support Australia
As a registered nurse, Jenny has dedicated her career to improving the lives of
individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. With over a decade of
experience in the field, Jenny has a deep understanding of the challenges and
complexities for clients living with dementia and their loved ones.

In collaboration with: