Dementia Care Training and Education Program (DCTEP)

General Practice Training Tasmania’s Dementia Care Training and Education Program (DCTEP) is a free online tailored education resource providing awareness, diagnosis, management and support of patients with dementia and their carers, in general practice (with a specific emphasis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples).

This innovative Australian-first dementia care online resource was developed in Tasmania and launched in Hobart in March 2018 by Federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt AM MP.

This free interactive online resource aims to provide high quality education and training in Dementia for GPs, Practice Nurses and medical practitioners working in general practice and aged care.

DCTEP has four component modules:

1. Recognising Dementia in General Practice
2. Diagnosing Dementia in General Practice
3. How does Dementia Progress ?
4. Managing Dementia in General Practice

Benefits of DCTEP in general practice and aged care sectors

GPs and medical practitioners working in general practice

• Can benefit from knowledge and confidence to take on the responsibility for diagnosis and management of many patients with dementia in their practice
• Can provide more certainty and assistance to families and carers, particularly in the early stages of dementia

Families and carers

• Can benefit from the earlier diagnosis of dementia, assisting them to plan with, and provide support for, a family member with dementia and to put in place options needed for future care.
• Can be better supported through improved health professional knowledge of community resources (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health resources).

Practice Nurses

• Can benefit from being able to better recognise dementia symptoms and to provide support in the management of patients, particularly in rural and remote communities.
• Can better support patients, carers and families by providing them with timely knowledge about community resources and support

How does Dementia progress?

This short video is taken from DCTEP and highlights how Dementia progresses.

There is no better time to get educated about a disease that is affecting so many Australians and their families. Access the program at the end of this article.

DCTEP Testimonials

‘Early diagnosis will make a big difference in the care of patients and carers – this training was a game changer for me and I can now offer better care for my patients and their families’.

Dr Janaka Somarathna, Exeter Medical Centre 

 

“The program gave me the confidence to diagnose and manage dementia. Now, I don’t feel stressed when patients or family members come in worried about memory loss or dementia. The program taught me a system that is very practical and easy to remember.”

 Dr Cherrilyn Zablan-Salazar, Wynyard Medical Centre

 

‘I found it useful in thinking about patient needs at the various stages of dementia, and the characteristics of each stage. I’d recommend it to any GP/Nurse.’

 Dr Sue Chambers