Aug 12, 2018

Online course helps GPs increase their dementia knowledge

A body of work to upskill GPs on dementia is gathering pace, with a new online course that aims to make it easier for GPs and Primary Health Care Nurses to recognise, diagnose and manage dementia.

The Dementia Training Australia (DTA) course, Recognising, Diagnosing and Managing Dementia in General Practice, includes the most up-to-date advice on dementia in the General Practice setting.

Throughout the course, General Practitioners, a neuroscientist, a psychiatric geriatrician, nursing professionals and carers all share their knowledge, experience and insights.

Tasmanian-based GP and medical educator Marita Long helped develop the course, which is based on a face-to-face workshop developed by the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and delivered across Australia.

Dr Long highlights the difficult and complex job that GPs have in recognising, diagnosing and managing dementia, and the need for guidance and a structured approach.

“As GPs we need to know so much. We need to have a good working knowledge of 187 conditions,” Dr Long said.

“Through these workshops and online learning, we are able to provide guidance, and give GPs a structured approach to recognising, diagnosing and managing dementia.

“This is ‘tip of the iceberg’ stuff but at least it gives GPs a start, so they know how to get help, and how to explain dementia to patients appropriately.”

DTA offers more online training for GPs through The Timely Diagnosis and Improved Management of Dementia in Primary Care, a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) accredited course on the assessment and investigation of a person who presents with cognitive impairment, hosted at thinkgp.com.au.

Both these courses are part of a larger body of work led by the DTA teams at Wicking and La Trobe University. DTA Director Margaret Winbolt says much of this work is done through collaboration with external GP organisations: the places where GPs go for their education.

“DTA works with a group of enthusiastic GPs, including Dr Long, to develop GP-relevant content and link into their extensive networks,” Dr Winbolt said.

These collaborations have led to these activities:

  • A partnership with General Practice Supervisors Australia (GPSA) to develop GP Supervisors’ teaching plans. The Diagnosing Dementia and Understanding Dementia teaching plans are used by GP supervisors to teach trainee GPs (Registrars) to better understand and diagnose dementia. They are available at gpsupervisorsaustralia.org.au
  • TheIdentifying Patients with Dementiaonline short course, developed by DTA and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and available to RACGP members at racgp.org.au.

The online course Recognising, Diagnosing and Managing Dementia in General Practice is available via the DTA website dta.com.au.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The 3 most common types of dementia

History of Dementia Dementia, a condition reported in people for since 1906 when it was discovered by Alois Alzheimer. Before the 20th century it was a considered a relatively rare condition, due to the fact that people rarely lived to “old age”. In the century since then, scientists have made significant advancements in understanding how... Read More

Celebrations With Loved Ones With Dementia

During 2015, Australia was said to have 2,800 residential aged care facilities providing care to more than 160,000 elderly people. This number is expected to increase to approximately 250,000 in the next 10 years with the highest area of growth being among residents aged 95 and older. One of the greatest challenges for the Australian aged care... Read More

Guide to cleaning teeth for people with dementia

Sometimes when caring for someone with dementia we find that self-care tasks that we may think of as second-nature, are actually complicated and difficult to perform. Something as simple as brushing teeth can become challenging but we know how important proper dental care is in maintaining good physical health. Here are simple tips to help... Read More
Advertisement