A new app-based tool available from Dementia Australia will help support people working in health, disability and aged care to provide quality care for people living with dementia.
Dementia Australia Executive Director of Services, Advocacy and Research Dr Kaele Stokes said the tool – called Tell TiNA – will help workers and providers to assess the skills they need to embed in order to better support people living with dementia and meet the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that commence from 1 November 2025.
"People living with dementia have specific care and support requirements that cannot be delivered without appropriate education and training of the workforce," Dr Stokes said.
"This tool will support providers to take a continuous improvement approach to the care they deliver, as well as assess the strengths and areas of development within their workforce to build a comprehensive dementia care training strategy.
"Dementia education must not be a once off. It needs to include a regular process of formalised continuing professional development that benefits people receiving care as well as staff themselves."
Dementia Australia Dementia Advocate Col, who cares for his wife who lives with dementia and has recently transitioned into residential aged care, said a focus on strengthening the workforce is important.
"There needs to be a lot more support for staff – training should be continuous," he said.
"Our team is proud to work with Dementia Australia to develop technologies like Tell TiNA, which provides resources for care workers to best support people living with dementia," Professor Mouzakis said.
Tell TiNA was mapped to the recently released Dementia Training Australia National Dementia Education and Training Standards Framework and developed by Dementia Australia in collaboration with Deakin University's Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative (A2I2), who contributed to the concept development and technical delivery.
Tell TiNA can be previewed by
