Caregiving and dementia/DTSC

The Dementia Training Study Centres (DTSCs) were established in 2006 by the Australian Government in order to strengthen the capacity of health and aged care sectors to provide appropriate evidence-based prevention and early intervention, assessment, treatment and care for people with dementia.

The DTSCs aim to increase the transfer of contemporary research knowledge and to enhance dementia care skills in everyday practice of health professionals working with people living with dementia.

Centres
Five Centres operate in Australia:
 * 1) South Australia & Northern Territory (led by Alzheimer’s Australia SA Inc)
 * 2) Victoria & Tasmania (led by La Trobe University)
 * 3) Western Australia (led by Curtin University)
 * 4) Queensland (led by Queensland University of Technology)
 * 5) New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory (led by University of Wollongong)

Priority areas
Each Centre is allocated National Priority Areas (NPAs) to assist in delivering services for a broad range of dementia-related topics. These NPAs are:
 * 1) Environmental design and assistive technology
 * 2) Behavioural and psychological symptoms
 * 3) Diagnosing dementia
 * 4) Person centred care
 * 5) End of life and palliative care

Objectives
The DTSCs are driven by six key objectives which are to:
 * 1) Identify and meet the dementia-specific education and training needs of the health and aged care sector
 * 2) Develop, promote, implement, evaluate and work to ensure the ongoing sustainability of dementia-specific education and training programs in response to stakeholder and target group needs
 * 3) Facilitate the skill and professional development of health professionals throughout the broader health and aged care sectors in relation to dementia
 * 4) Facilitate the transfer of evidence based knowledge into the day-to-day practice of dementia care
 * 5) Develop, promote and evaluate workforce development activities, particularly with regards to work place change, leadership, career and education pathways
 * 6) Empower the target group and other key stakeholders to develop the capacity and skills of themselves and their staff, and to undertake and pursue improved dementia care.