A new inter-professional unit offered by Curtin University of Technology will benefit health care providers working with people who have dementia.
The postgraduate unit Introduction to Dementia Care, developed by Curtin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery Associate Professor Christine Toye, will be available in Semester 1, 2010.
It will focus on dementia care, symptoms of dementia and how it progresses.
Associate Professor Toye said the course was being offered at a time when the number of people living with dementia was climbing significantly.
“A recent report commissioned by Alzheimer’s Australia revealed that new cases of dementia will increase dramatically by 2050,” she said.
”The figures are expected to rise from 69,600 new cases in 2009 to 385,200 in 2050. People with dementia represent 1.1 per cent of the current population in capital cities, with this number expected to increase to 2.9 per cent by 2050.”
Associate Professor Toye said the unit would also focus on supporting family members of those living with dementia.
The unit has been developed with support from the WA Dementia Training Study Centre (WADTSC) as part of the Australian Government’s Dementia Initiative. The WADTSC is based at Curtin and works to promote dementia studies in Australian postgraduate and undergraduate curricula as well as for health professionals who are not enrolled in University courses.
For further information, or to register your interest, phone Associate Professor Christine Toye on 9266 1756 or email c.toye@curtin.edu.au.
Contacts: Associate Professor Christine Toye, School of Nursing and Midwifery, 08 9266 1756, c.toye@curtin.edu.au OR Ann Marie Lim, Public Relations, Curtin, 08 9266 4241, 0401 103 5332, ann.lim@curtin.edu.au
