Dementia care eLearning
Dementia care eLearning for OTs and SLTs
The Learning Rooms worked with the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre (DSiDC) to develop two dementia care eLearning courses. These focused on occupational therapy and speech and language therapy practice. The aim of both courses was to upskill healthcare professionals with the latest best practice in dementia care within their respective field.
About DSiDC
The DSiDC 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. They do this through educational programmes and research, informed by the voice of people living with dementia and their care partners.
The Challenge
DSiDC provide support, resources, and training with the aim of transforming people’s understanding and awareness of dementia. They recognised the need to reach health and social care professionals throughout Ireland.
Practical online learning
For Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), DSiDC wanted to provide highly specialised and practical online learning. 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 specialist healthcare professionals to provide modern, accessible online learning opportunities for SLTs and OTs.
The Solution
The Learning Rooms worked with DSiDC and a working group of OTs and SLTs to develop two separate two-hour eLearning courses:
- Occupational Therapy in Dementia Care. This eLearning course covers eight key interventions OTs can use in their practice. These include functional assessment, cognition and capacity and interventions.
- Speech and Language Therapy Practice in Dementia Care. This eLearning course covers the assessment and management of a person living with dementia. It also looks at other aspects of care such as the intellectual disability population, palliative care and decision making.
The dementia care eLearning courses are designed to give healthcare workers practical, research-based strategies for working with people living with dementia.
