Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Dementia rehabilitation training for medical and nursing professionals (119835)

Den-Ching A Lee 1 2 , Grant Russell 3 , Terry P Haines 1 4 , Keith D Hill 1 2 , Claire M C O'Connor 5 6 7 , Marianne Piano 1 8 , Natasha Layton 2 , Kate Swaffer 9 , Marita Long 10 , Catherine Devanny 1 8 , Michele L Callisaya 1 11
  1. National Centre for Healthy Ageing, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Rehabilitation Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. Department of General Practice, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. School of Public and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  5. School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. Centre for Positive Ageing, HammondCare, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  7. Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  8. Peninsula Clinical School, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  9. Department of Sociology, School of Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  10. Department of General Practice and Primary Care, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  11. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Hobart, TAS, Australia

Aims: Assess the impact of a one-day dementia rehabilitation training course and follow-up activity upon knowledge, attitudes, and confidence regarding dementia rehabilitation expressed by medical and nursing professionals. Primary care practitioners (general practitioners and practice nurses) were the target of this pilot initiative, to determine potential for expansion of training to other groups, such as gerontological nurses, geriatricians and neurologists.

 

Methods: The training, led by two experienced GPs and an academic physiotherapist, covered dementia diagnosis, allied health roles, care planning, and referrals. The follow-up activity provided additional opportunities to apply learning, and a reflective task. Outcome measures were change from pre-course baseline in Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS), General Practitioners’ Attitudes and Confidence towards Dementia Survey (GPACS-D), and Dementia Rehabilitation Scale (DRS), measured post-course and at four-month follow-up. Quantitative outcomes data (descriptive and regression analyses) was supplemented by content analysis of focus group data.

 

Results: Seventeen participants (14 GPs, 3 nurses) completed outcome measures pre/post-course; eight (6 GPs, 2 nurses) participated in follow-up and focus group discussions. Post-course, DKAS scores increased by 12.1%, GPACS-D by 10.1%, and DRS by 9.4%, with improvements retained at four months. Focus groups highlighted the training’s impacts, useful components, barriers, and suggestions for improvement.

 

Conclusion: Training primary care practitioners in dementia rehabilitation enhances knowledge, awareness, and confidence in referring to allied health services. Ongoing efforts are needed to sustain benefits and address referral barriers for better access to dementia rehabilitation services, for example, by training other potential referrers, such as geriatricians and gerontological nurses.