Staying at Home initiative supports people with dementia, carers
Dementia Support Australia’s new Staying at Home program provides strategies for maintaining quality of life that enable people living with dementia and their partners, or other family carers, to stay together at home for as long as possible.
The three-days/two-nights residential programs launched last July, and in the following five months couples attended seven programs in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Five new programs have been organised for Southeast Queensland, Canberra, NSW and Victoria during February and March.
The Brisbane and Hunter Valley courses are already filled and Dementia Support Australia is planning more programs around the country for later in 2023 and 2024.
“Everyone wants to continue living at home,” said Staying at Home project leader Tom Gauci. “It’s our place of comfort, familiarity and security.
“Staying at Home empowers people living with dementia and their carers to continue living together at home for as long as possible.”
The programs are fully funded by the Australian Government, through Dementia Support Australia, so there is no cost to participants.
Carers are taught how best to manage behaviour changes that come with dementia, how to obtain 24/7 support from DSA’s staff and other community services, how to plan ahead and, very importantly, how to care for their own wellbeing.
Participants living with dementia are supported to continue activities they treasure — gardening, for example, or excursions into the community; are introduced to respite care; and have an opportunity to connect with other people living with dementia, to share experiences and learn from each other.
“One of the great benefits of the program for family carers is they share experiences and learnings with others in similar situations,” said Marie Alford, head of Dementia Support, a service led by HammondCare. “They know they’re not alone.”
Eligibility information about the Staying at Home Program is available at https://www.dementia.com.au/dsa-staying-at-home.
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