Aboriginal health workers awarded
The accreditation of Aboriginal health workers is more important than ever as the number of people with dementia in Victorian Aboriginal communities increase. Meeting the demand are Aboriginal Community Elder’s Service (ACES) trainees, who were awarded a Certificate III in Home and Community Care at a recent graduation ceremony.
The accreditation of Aboriginal health workers is more important than ever as the number of people with dementia in Victorian Aboriginal communities increase.
Meeting the demand are Aboriginal Community Elder’s Service (ACES) trainees, who were awarded a Certificate III in Home and Community Care at a recent graduation ceremony where they were recognised for their commitment to the sector.
Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria Education Services general manager, Dr David Sykes, presented the graduates with their certificates, and acknowledged the importance of continuing to educate workers in caring for people with dementia.
“The care of older people in the community is vital, and we need to continue providing great educational opportunities that will help support the elderly and those impacted by dementia,” Dr Sykes said.
He said the Home and Community Care course allowed workers to better understand dementia, the people with the disease and how to appropriately respond to behaviours that may cause concern.
Graduates; Pam Brown, Rachel Drewitt, Rhonda Watson, Annabelle Jayasekera and May Andy, completed their Alzheimer’s Australia VIC course at the ACES centre in Brunswick, where all five currently work in Aboriginal Health.
Indicating almost five times the rate of non-indigenous Australians, a 2007 Alzheimer’s Australia research paper, showed one in eight Indigenous Australians were affected by dementia within the Kimberley Region in Western Australia.
