Case study: Helping Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists support people living with dementia

Client: Dementia Services Information and Development Centre (DSiDC)

About DSIDC

The Dementia Services Information and Development Centre (DSiDC), established in 1998, is the national centre for excellence in dementia and is committed to best practice in all aspects of dementia care. Their mission is to transform people’s understanding and awareness of dementia through educational programmes and research, informed by the voice of people living with dementia and their care partners. To achieve their goals, the DSiDC works alongside health and social care professionals; people living with dementia and those around thems; community organisations; private and public care providers; and national policy makers.

Business Challenge

As part of their education remit, the DSiDC provide support, resources, and face to face training with the aim of transforming people’s understanding and awareness of dementia. They recognise the need to reach health and social care professionals in a cost-effective way and to enable them to learn in their own time. For Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), the DSiDC wanted to provide highly specialised and practical online learning courses. SLTs and OTs are very well trained in their specialities, however, many do not have experience of working with people living with dementia. The DSiDC wanted to bring together the collective knowledge of a group of specialist healthcare professionals to provide modern, accessible online learning opportunities for SLTs and OTs.

Our Solution

The Learning Rooms worked with DSiDC and a working group of OTs and SLTs to develop two separate two-hour courses:

• Occupational Therapy in Dementia Care; and
• Speech and Language Therapy Practice in Dementia Care.

The aim of both courses is to upskill healthcare professionals with the latest best practice in dementia care within their respective field. They are both designed to give healthcare workers practical strategies for their toolkit, backed by research and professional guidance. The courses provide guidance to help the healthcare professional support the person living with dementia and their care partners.

Occupational Therapy in Dementia Care
The Occupational Therapy in Dementia Care course addresses eight key interventions that OTs can use to support people living with dementia. The course includes topics such as functional assessments, cognition and capacity, and interventions. The course is interactive and engaging and includes video interviews from experts in the field.

Speech and Language Therapy Practice in Dementia Care
The Speech and Language Therapy Practice in Dementia Care course provides SLTs with an understanding of Speech and Language practice in dementia care. The assessment and management of a person living with dementia is covered in detail, as well as an extensive range of practical interventions. Other aspects of care are also considered, including the intellectual disability population, palliative care and decision making.

Key project features:

• Articulate Storyline 360
• Video and audio learning
• Interactive and engaging content