Updated October 2:
Special Reader Offer: Inside Ageing in association with Obvious Choice (creators of the Forget Me Not® app) are hosting complimentary breakfasts in Perth and Adelaide, where insights from the recent programs and the benefits of evidence-based microlearning for training staff and improving care outcomes will be shared.
Perth – October 18
Adelaide – October 24
The complimentary events are available to aged care providers on a first-come basis, with a limited number of tickets available.
Email Inside Ageing to register your place – editor@insideageing.com.au
Coinciding with Dementia Action Week, a 12-week education campaign has been launched to help aged care workers increase their knowledge and confidence in delivering care to those living with dementia.
Funded by Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA), the 12-week campaign created by Obvious Choice and co-designed with seven aged care providers uses the latest evidence in best practice dementia care.
Each of the seven aged care providers will deliver 5-minute practice opportunities during work shifts to their staff on:
- A Shared Understanding of Dementia
- Strengths-Based Communication
- Overcoming Barriers to Care
- Optimising the Mealtime Experience.
Using the award-winning Forget Me Not® app, aged care workers will be presented with dementia-based questions and scenarios, strengthening their knowledge while giving them the flexibility to learn when and where they want.
The campaign introduces spaced repetition, a performance support library of dementia care best practice resources, peer-to-peer learning where aged care workers can reach out to experts, and daily ‘bite-sized’ five-minute microlearning lessons.
The innovative project also personalises learning by meeting carers’ needs and adapting the learning experience to the individual through conversational learning and coaching.
Commenting on the roll-out, Palm Lake Care’s Clinical Governance Manager Melissa Ostrouhoff is excited to onboard their staff to the dementia care microlearning campaign.
“Ongoing education and professional growth are essential to providing the highest quality of support and care for our residents. At Palm Lake Care, we deeply appreciate the importance of continuous learning and the specialised requirements of dementia care. We take pride in introducing the Forget Me Not® microlearning approach as we believe this application offers several key features like personalisation, engagement and retention, accessibility, flexibility and data-driven improvements,” Ms Ostouhoff said.
A Palm Lake Care worker completes the microlearning during a dedicated learning break.
As previously reported, large regional and rural provider Whiddon is another taking part in the program, with 2,000 team members commencing training this week, including registered nurses, assistants in nursing, community care workers along with ancillary support staff in catering, laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and administration roles.
“We find that the longer modules aren’t as effective as the shorter, sharper-type modules”
Whiddon Deputy CEO Alyson Jarrett
Tasmanian aged care and disability care provider Community Based Support was an early adopter of microlearning and spaced repetition for their in-home care workforce, with CEO Allyson Warrington a long-time advocate for evidence-based education approaches.
“Community Based Support adopted Forget Me Not® last year with a strategic focus on increasing the engagement of our workforce in continuous learning and demonstrating to our regulators our evidence- based approach to training and development, and continuous improvement. It has proven to be effective and of significant importance to our organisation and our staff,” Ms Warrington added.
Aged Care workers who opt-in can complete their dementia care training on their smartphone device over a 12-week period.
Certificates of mastery will be issued to aged care workers who complete each module. Feedback from the workforce and consumer outcomes of the project will be published to the sector in early 2024.
Sponsored by Obvious Choice
