The Australian Government has provided $2.5 million to Tasmanian educators to develop two online learning packages for aged care workers to support them to deliver quality care in contemporary aged care settings.
The University of Tasmania’s has developed the for people who are working in aged care including personal care workers, nurses and allied health professionals.
The learning packages will also be useful for volunteers, families, carers or those considering working in aged care.
An introductory package has been developed, designed specifically for people who have not previously worked in aged care or are new to the field, while a refresher package has been designed for people currently working in aged care or who have previous experience.
The two new learning packages are part of the Skills Development Program for Aged Care Workers introduced by the Australian Government as a result of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
“Improvement in aged care workforce education was central in the Royal Commission’s final report,” Wicking Dementia Centre Director Professor James Vickers said.
“The Wicking Dementia Centre has a successful track record in delivering high quality, online courses using a highly accessible learning management system developed at the University of Tasmania.”
Since its establishment in 2008, the Wicking Dementia Centre has become a global leader in dementia education with its Understanding Dementia and Preventing Dementia MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) having reached over 640,000 enrolments across 185 countries.
The modules within the learning packages only take around 10-minutes to complete and include key care topics such as supporting people living with dementia; aged care system and structure; palliative and end of life care; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultural awareness; promoting mental health and wellbeing; wound management and prevention of pressure injuries; oral health and falls prevention.
The Centre worked collaboratively with academic and other subject matter experts, peak bodies and expert advisory groups to develop the two learning packages.
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