Supporting Participants with Dementia

Course Overview

This course provides a specialized framework for support workers assisting participants living with dementia, including younger onset and NDIS-funded individuals. It focuses on the customization of care to address cognitive decline while prioritizing the “person-centered” approach—viewing the individual behind the diagnosis to maintain their dignity, identity, and comfort.

Aligned with NDIS quality standards and clinical best practices, this training equips staff with the skills to navigate memory loss, confusion, and changed behaviors (BPSD) through environmental adaptation and specialized communication techniques.

What You’ll Learn

• Define dementia as a collection of symptoms caused by physical disorders of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s or Vascular dementia.

• Identify the impact of dementia on memory, orientation, executive function, and sensory perception.

• Master “Validation Therapy” and other specialized communication strategies to reduce participant distress.

• Implement practical support for activities of daily living (ADLs) that maximize remaining strengths and independence.

• Execute environmental modifications to reduce falls, wandering, and sensory overstimulation.

• Navigate “changed behaviors” (formerly known as challenging behaviors) by identifying unmet needs, such as pain or boredom.

• Master NDIS-specific documentation, ensuring that “Progress Notes” accurately reflect functional changes and goal attainment.

• Apply ethical decision-making regarding participant autonomy and duty of care in a residential or community setting.

Course Modules

• Understand Dementia

• Support, Care, and Communication

• Understand NDIS Documentation and Real-World Practice

Designed For

• Disability support workers and personal care assistants.

• NDIS providers and team leaders managing aged-care or younger-onset dementia plans.

• Residential care workers and community health assistants.

• Allied health assistants and vocational support staff.

• Family members and primary carers seeking to deepen their understanding of neurodegenerative support.