Dementia-Friendly Eyecare
Available from: 11/02/2025 (AEDT)
Where to publish: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/short-courses/dementia-friendly-eyecare/
Provider: Marianne Coleman
Register here: https://lms.optometry.org.au/course/view.php?id=846
Activity Outline
This training program aims to provide eyecare professionals with the knowledge and techniques to confidently provide dementia-friendly eye examinations and eyecare. This addresses learning needs we identified during our research about provision of eyecare for people living with dementia.
Optometrists told us that they wanted to know more about dementia, and how to adapt their approach to accommodate different levels of cognitive impairment. Addressing these learning needs helps optometrists provide high quality eyecare to people living with dementia, maximising vision for daily activities to reduce falls risk and maintain independence.
Dementia Advocates (people with lived experience of dementia or being a carer) helped us develop this course. They reviewed quotes and case scenarios to ensure they sensitively represent people with dementia and carers. All case scenarios have been developed using the Alzheimer Europe Guidelines for the ethical and inclusive portrayal of dementia and people with dementia.
Learning Objectives
- Be aware of different types of dementia and the common features of each
- Apply their knowledge of the different dementia types to anticipate what features may present during an eyecare consultation
- Understand the impact of poor vision on cognitive decline and quality of life (e.g. falls)
- Understand the benefits of accessing regular eye examinations for people living with dementia
- Develop a vocabulary of dementia-friendly language
- Understand the range of communication problems that may be associated with dementia
- Apply knowledge of communication problems to tailor communication with people living with dementia and carers, to accommodate individual communication needs
- Prepare for, and create, a comfortable eye examination experience for people with dementia
- Understand how dementia can impact on optometric assessment
- Identify ways to adapt and tailor the eye examination for a person with dementia
- Understand the process of shared decision-making, and support people with dementia to be involved in decisions about their care
- Consider the feasibility of management plans and tailor them to the individual living with dementia and their circumstances
- Discuss referral options to tertiary eyecare services with people with dementia and carers to support their shared decision-making
- Identify changed behaviours, and their impact, in people living with dementia
- Understand why changed behaviours occur in people living with dementia
- Look out for triggers for changed behaviours in people living with dementia that may occur in an eyecare setting
- Use strategies to prevent, intervene early, or respond to changed behaviours in people living with dementia
- Understand the roles of different healthcare professionals within dementia care, and the benefits of information sharing
- Find relevant training opportunities about dementia, information about decision-making legislation, and information and support services available for healthcare professionals
- Access a variety of additional materials and further reading to support the dementia-friendly eyecare course content
Max CPD hours awarded: 6
Session Information
| Name |
|---|
| Introduction to Dementia |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 1 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 1.25 |
| Name |
|---|
| Communicating with people living with dementia |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 0.75 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 0.75 |
| Name |
|---|
| Adapting eye examinations for people living with dementia |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 1 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 1 |
| Name |
|---|
| Management considerations for people living with dementia |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 1.5 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 1.5 |
| Name |
|---|
| Good days and bad days |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 1 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 1 |
| Name |
|---|
| Additional support and resources |
| Clinical? |
| Yes |
| Interactive? |
| No |
| Therapeutic? |
| No |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module |
| 0.5 |
| Duration of CPD Session/Module inclusive of Assessment Component |
| 0.5 |