Ms Diane Cadet-james1
1James Cook University Healthy Ageing Research Team, Cairns, Australia
Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of new innovative proven practice in a clinical setting can be challenging. The task could be more burdensome while delivering services in rural and remote communities where sometimes vast distances are accommodated with minimal human resources. Rural and remote health services would benefit from support that provides easily accessible resources that focuses on current trends and knowledge.
In an effort to contribute to achieving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples this presentation identifies and offers useful tools that focus on dementia education and care for use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Let’s CHAT (Community Health Approaches To) Dementia is a NHMRC-funded project that engaged with 12 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across Australia in a bid to enhance detection and management of cognitive impairment in primary health care. The Let’s Chat research team developed both proven practice and educational resources, the “Best-practice guide to cognitive impairment and dementia care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending primary health care services” is a resource for all health care staff. Educational resources developed included online webinars and videos available for the public and during the project, research teams members conducted workshops focusing on dementia for both the staff of the participating ACCHSs and communities.
The Healthy Ageing Research Team’s (HART) involvement in the Let’s CHAT project involved data collection, conducting workshops and engagement with ACCHSs in Innisfail, Mt Isa and Cairns. Engagement with the ACCHS staff and community provides a means of two-way learning and an avenue to share information and resources which in turn is further shared with family and friends through the all-powerful Murri grapevine. Today on behalf of the Let’s CHAT project I would like to continue that process of sharing resources through this presentation.
Biography:
Diane is a Gugu Badhun woman from north Queensland and holds an Associate Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor of Teaching. Di has a background in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, supporting students to reach their full potential and families to navigate the system. Her other interests lie in research, working with communities to ensure appropriate research protocols are in place and assisting researchers to engage respectfully and ethically with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the research process. Di is a Research Assistant with the Healthy Ageing Research Team based at JCU. diane.cadetjames@jcu.edu.au