Dementia research scholarship for WA uni
Edith Cowan University in Western Australia has received a $50,000 research scholarship to improve the care and lives of people diagnosed with Younger Onset Dementia.
The Trevor Mast Research Scholarship, awarded by Mercy Health and the Lovell Foundation, will be used to develop a training guide for staff who work in respite and residential care facilities, specific to the needs of those with younger onset dementia and their families.
Younger Onset Dementia is defined as a dementia diagnosis before the age of 65, with up to 25,100 Australians affected today.
In 2014 an Australian literature review found there was a need for existing services to provide more age-appropriate programs and services for those suffering from Younger Onset Dementia.
Supported by the research scholarship, Edith Cowan researchers with expertise in the areas of gerontology and dementia, will evaluate Mercy Health’s current staff training practices and develop a new education package to roll out to six pilot sites.
Younger Onset Dementia Champions will be identified to assist with staff training and to help identify any gaps in the program before it is rolled out to all of Mercy Health’s 22 residential aged care homes.
Mercy Health Group chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen says the organisation is excited to be taking a lead role in developing the skills of the aged care workforce.
“The key goal of this scholarship is for aged care workers to be able to provide a meaningful lifestyle for people living with Younger Onset Dementia,” adjunct professor Cornelissen explains.
“We know symptoms associated with younger people with dementia present unique challenges, as they are more likely to be at a stage of life where they are more physically and socially active.”
The Trevor Mast Scholarship is named after winemaker, husband, father and grandfather who was diagnosed with Younger Onset Dementia at 57 years old, and is aimed to support training initiatives for Younger Onset Dementia paid carers.
