June 2020 Edition View in browser  |  Print
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Welcome
Professor James Vickers

The Covid-19 pandemic has had substantial effects on just about every corner of our communities, and there have been impacts on the care of people with dementia, as well as on dementia research across the world. The Wicking Dementia Centre has perhaps been less disrupted than other usual university activities as our educational programs are on-line, but we have seen some of our outreach and research projects affected, or having to be redesigned, for a world where community-based events, or research involving close human contact, need to be curtailed to reduce risk of spreading infection.

We are grateful to our staff who have to work largely from home but are continuing to keep the majority of our teaching and research programs on track. We appreciate how serious the impacts have been on people with dementia and also for carers, and would recommend online resources developed by Dementia Australia that may help with support.

I hope you enjoy our June newsletter – you may see many ways in which you may be supported by our education programs, as well as opportunities to become involved in new research studies.

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Our Community
Thank you for your support FREE online courses on dementia Launch of ISLAND Home

Thank you for your support

FREE online courses on dementia

Launch of ISLAND Home

We greatly appreciate your support in these difficult times and wish to sincerely thank all our donors. Your financial contribution will go towards assisting us seek better outcomes for people living with dementia as well as continuing to offer our free MOOCs, which in turn improve dementia literacy, knowledge and understanding on a global level.
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Our latest Understanding Dementia MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is open for enrolments with the course starting on 7 July. Since 2013, the Understanding Dementia has received over 240,000 enrolments from all around the world. We invite you to join our community and learn about the diseases that cause dementia, how the condition affects the person with dementia, and how we can provide the best quality care.
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The ISLAND Project reached a new milestone last month with the launch of our new one-stop portal for the participants of the ISLAND Project. The Wicking Dementia Centre, through the ISLAND Project, is seeking to reduce the incidence of dementia in a whole population – the population of Tasmania. If we can show that we can reduce risk behaviours in our state, then we can encourage the world to take on dementia risk reduction.
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Our Education
Diploma of Dementia Care Bachelor of Dementia Care Master of Dementia Program

Diploma of Dementia Care

Bachelor of Dementia Care

Master of Dementia Program

Our Diploma of Dementia Care is an eight-unit course that is particularly relevant for carers, aged care and community health workers and anyone with an interest in learning more about dementia. Domestic students can study with 100% HECS waiver and international students have substantial tuition fee discounts. As our health and aged care industry faces new challenges, learn from our experts about best practice care and make a positive difference to the lives of people living with dementia, and their families.  
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If you are interested in continuing your dementia care education to a bachelor level, our Bachelor of Dementia Care is Australia’s first degree specifically focused on dementia and will give you the opportunity to expand on your current knowledge. The Bachelor of Dementia Care will set benchmarks for the value of the skills and knowledge graduates will bring to the aged care sector and other healthcare environments.
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Our postgraduate program is aimed at graduates and professionals currently working within, or building their expertise in, a field related to dementia. A key to the success of this program is incorporating your personal context into all study units. Acquired knowledge will be linked to your individual situation in assessments, making the program relevant and up-to-date. Equip yourself with the expertise to lead transformation, based on the latest research evidence. 
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Our Research
Dementia Studies prize on GP attitudes World-class brain research boost Technology use in aged care

Dementia Studies prize on GP attitudes

World-class brain research boost

Technology use in aged care

Wicking Dementia Centre PhD candidate, Ron Mason, has been awarded the 2019 Emeritus Professor Lloyd and Ann Smythe Prize in Dementia Studies for his research on the attitudes of General Practitioners towards dementia, including confidence in their clinical abilities, and how this is impacting diagnosis rates and management of the condition. 
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Pioneering research into two of the world’s greatest health threats has been bolstered by a generous donation from a family intent on changing the world for the better. Scientists from the Wicking Dementia Centre are creating lab-grown human ‘mini-brains’ to improve our understanding of dementia and traumatic brain injury. The mini-brains will help researchers study the way the brain responds to repetitive traumatic injury and the similarities between the condition and Alzheimer’s disease. 

(Photo by Peter Mathew)

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Research for Jo Sun’s PhD has included the development of an environmental assessment tool for people living with dementia in facilities providing high levels of care in Singapore. Her research has also uncovered vital built environmental characteristics, such as the integration of technology, support for palliative care and spirituality that play crucial roles in the improvement of the quality of life for people living with dementia in these regions.
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News from the Community
Understanding Dementia MOOC – a personal experience Research on dementia education and carer stress Korongee village

Understanding Dementia MOOC – a personal experience

Research on dementia education and carer stress

Korongee village

Kate found out around 6 months ago that a family member in the UK had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Hear about her experiences after discovering and signing up for the free, online, Understanding Dementia MOOC.

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Caring for someone with dementia can be demanding and stressful. Stress in carers may also affect the wellbeing of people with dementia. If you are a carer in Australia, and would like to participate in this research, please contact us via the website link below.
Research call
The Wicking Dementia Centre has been closely involved with Glenview Community Services on the innovative dementia design of Korongee and will be working with them on a research framework to evaluate the Korongee model of care. Expressions of interest for residents are now being accepted and the village is due to open in July 2020.
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CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B | ABN 30 764 374 782