UC occupational therapy student Coco Chang is supporting Tony Moleta and his partner Liz. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has determined that dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia, yet despite this grim figure, there are few places in the country that researches care for the condition.
The University of Canberra is leading Australian research and community programs to help improve the care and quality of life for people living with dementia, primarily through its Sustainable Personalised Interventions for Cognition, Care and Engagement (SPICE) for Life program, the first initiative of its kind in the country.
The SPICE program was launched in 2022 following collaborative program design between UC and Canberra Health Services, supported by Dementia Australia Research Foundation and the Dementia Australia Advocates program.
The program runs for 10 weeks and is designed for people living with dementia and their care partners, who receive information, active rehabilitation, care partner education and strategies to support their wellbeing.
Program lead researcher Katie Van Soest said the program prepared occupational therapy students for how to stimulate and support people with dementia, as the number of people diagnosed with degenerative brain conditions continued to grow.
“There’s not a lot of post-diagnostic support for people living with dementia. Often it’s that people get that diagnosis and they’re told to go home and wait, which is a pretty grim situation,” she said.
“This program supports people with dementia by keeping them active and keeping their brains stimulated. It not only equips occupational therapists with ways to support them, but the partners and carers of people with dementia as well.”
UC student Charli King running an exercise with Gina Callan, who lives with dementia and her husband Mick. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
UC fourth-year occupational therapy student Charli King is taking part in the program.
Ms King said it had offered her valuable insights into how to care for people with dementia, which wouldn’t normally be covered by the university.
“Being able to work in a group with people living with dementia, as well as their care partners, has been really educational. I think you can definitely learn a lot in a uni class, but there’s nothing like that practical experience and seeing it first-hand.
“It’s really rewarding to work alongside them and practice these exercises and have these discussions.
“The number of people with dementia is only growing, but aside from programs like SPICE, there aren’t really avenues for people with dementia, their carers and even therapists to understand more about it.”
The program’s future has been further strengthened through support from Tradies Dickson, which has provided funding to help ensure SPICE For Life can continue operating next year.
Tradies CEO Alison Percival said supporting SPICE For Life was a natural extension of the club’s commitment to helping Canberra become a more dementia-friendly community.
“Being dementia-friendly is about making sure people living with dementia remain connected, included and supported to live well in their community,” she said.
“SPICE For Life does that in a really practical way. It supports people living with dementia and their care partners, while also giving the next generation of health professionals valuable experience and a better understanding of dementia.
“We’re really pleased to support the University of Canberra to continue this program and to help create more opportunities for people living with dementia to stay active, connected and involved in their community.”
