Course Overview

This course is designed to help you better understand how to care for a person experiencing dementia-related changed behaviour.

You will be able to make a positive difference to people living with dementia who are expressing changed behaviours through increased knowledge and understanding of:

• How changed behaviour is assessed
• How it may be reduced, and
• How its impact on the person with dementia (or those around them) may be minimised.

The entire course consists of 7 modules. You could also choose to take Modules 1-4 as a base-level introduction to changed behaviours. Modules 1-4 cover planning, implementing, and evaluating strategies using two case study examples. Modules 5-7 explore three specific changed behaviours and cultural considerations for caring for people living with dementia who are Indigenous Australians or have a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, staff should be able to:

• Explain the concept of changed behaviour in dementia and the models used to understand the potential underlying causes.
• Outline the assessment processes, tools, and interventions appropriate for some specific behaviour examples.
• Critically analyse scenarios and select suitable evidence-based interventions.
• Recognise the value of assessment and ongoing evaluation in the care of people with changed behaviour.
• Identify a variety of resources that can be readily accessed as reference materials to support your practice.