INTRODUCTION

The Graduate Certificate in Dementia Studies is a course that is ideally suited to health care professionals working with people who have dementia. The course is relevant to acute care, long term residential aged care, and community care settings.

The course has a multidisciplinary focus. The varied backgrounds of students to whom the course is relevant reflect the growing need for high quality care for people with dementia across the health care sector.

The course is aimed at facilitating students' learning in areas relevant to the management of dementia. The key areas addressed are the knowledge and critical approaches required to underpin students' practice as leaders in the area of dementia care.

Students who are health care professionals with some previous experience or education in the area of working with people with dementia are eligible for admission. Although a relevant Bachelor degree is generally required, Registered Nurses with a hospital-based diploma will be eligible for enrolment at the discretion of the course coordinator, after assessment of relevant prior education and/or experience.

There are three units in this course. Students who are progressing at the rate of one unit per semester are advised to take them in the order in which they are displayed. However, a student may choose to enrol in two or three units during the same semester, subject to the agreement of the course coordinator. Additionally, students may take single units in a different order to that recommended, subject to the approval of the course coordinator.