Researchers from The University of Western Australia have created an immersive virtual reality experience to improve participants’ understanding of the effects of dementia on people who live with the condition.

The program, Meaningful Spaces, is a novel, virtual reality training resource that allows healthcare workers to walk in the shoes of a person living with dementia and experience some of the challenges they face in their everyday lives.

While the virtual reality scenarios are based in residential care, the principles apply across all care settings.

The team from UWA’s WA Centre for Health and Ageing developed the program through the Dementia Training Australia consortium, an organisation funded by the federal government to provide training for people who care for those living with dementia.

Next month, the team will be facilitating the first statewide rollout of the resource in Western Australia, running interactive workshops in key metropolitan and regional areas.

The workshop has been developed for all healthcare professionals involved in providing care for people living with dementia, including nurses, medical practitioners and allied health workers. 

During the workshop, participants will experience how the principles of environmental design and medication management can support people experiencing dementia symptoms, such as changed behaviour and psychological symptoms, enabling them to provide better care.

Dr Andrew Stafford from UWA’s Dementia Training Australia team said the virtual reality program was designed to provide healthcare workers a new level of understanding of the challenges faced by people living with dementia.

“We think that this new resource has the potential to address some of the key issues around providing high quality dementia care,” Dr Stafford said.

“The current Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has highlighted a number of areas where engaging, high quality training experiences can improve the lives of people living with dementia,” Dr Stafford said.

“The Meaningful Spaces experience is profoundly emotive, and participants are more engaged in these workshops than with traditional classroom- type training events. We hope that the dementia care workforce in WA makes the most of the opportunity to experience our workshops next month.’  

Ellie Newman the UWA Director of Dementia Training Australia said the workshops empowered participants to rationalise the use of medication in dementia care, and create supportive, more home-like environments.

“Change starts from within and this resource provides participants with the opportunity to experience, first hand, the interaction of medications and the environment for someone living with dementia,” Ms Newman said.

“It will make a difference.”

Workshops will be conducted in Joondalup, Geraldton, Melville and Albany throughout February and can be booked here. Private sessions are available for larger groups.

The Greek Community of Melbourne on Thursday night held their Annual General Meeting via zoom and Facebook, giving the board an opportunity to present and discuss the new projects being undertaken for 2021.

GCM President Bill Papastergiadis noted that while 2020 was no doubt a challenging year, it was still a year of some achievement of the Greek Community of Melbourne. 

“Despite the pandemic our organisation continued to play a pivotal role in community and educational matters both in Australia and abroad,” Papastergiadis said.

In amongst other activity, the GCM:

• Managed to continue our education programs and achieved outstanding VCE results with our students achieving on the whole excellent results

• In association with a broad coalition of community groups we secured the continuation of the Greek Program at La Trobe University

• Continued to hold and stream to a wide audience our Language and Cultural Seminars

• Ran a successful covid 19 referral service

• Were successful in our lobbying of the Federal Government in taking a pro Greece stance on the Turkish incursions in the Mediterranean and with Aghia Sofia

• I met on a number of occasions with the Prime Minister and Ministers Coleman, Tudge and Wood on visa issues of Greeks in Australia and on a variety of multicultural matters/initiatives

• Corresponded with the Greek prime Minister on the Greek Government’s dealing with the Secretariat for Greeks Abroad

• Participated in numerous international forums including the Delphi Economic Forum and the recent University Forum

• Expanded the theatre units of our schools program so that performances were undertaken on line and on radio stations

In terms of the GCM’s program for 2021, Bill Papastergiadis advised as follows:

“We are hopeful of making an announcement on the establishment of a Greek Community of Melbourne Chair at Melbourne University on the Hellenic Diaspora and Cosmopolitanism. This Global Chair will be jointly funded by the Federal Government and Melbourne University and has arisen as a result of our discussions with the Prime Minister.”

“We expect to finalise the development of a new Centre for the Youth and the elderly in the city close to our Greek Centre. This will be a hub and meeting space for all Greek Australians and will act as a catalyst for future projects.”

“We are developing a program so as to integrate the universities in Australia with those in Greece so that our students can do part of their course work overseas an have that work recognised in their degrees here.”