FMN Dementia Care Microlearning

Dementia Care Microlearning

Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) is an industry-led organisation that leads positive transformation within aged care. In February, Obvious Choice was the recipient of ARIIA’s Round 3 Grants Program. Our submission focused on a microlearning approach to improve care workers competence meeting the needs of persons living with dementia. The grant funds: • Development of four Dementia Care Microlearning modules. • The introduction of peer-to-peer learning functionality. Carers can reach out for support and coaching from more experienced staff. • A 12-week campaign of microlearning and coaching activities that helps Carers progress to knowledge mastery. • An evaluation of this educational approach meeting the needs of persons living with dementia. Innovation in Aged Care

Click here to read more about the ARIIA Grants program

Obvious Choice codesigned the Dementia Care microlearning with the support of: Seven aged care service providers Dementia care experts Aged care industry experts

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Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

September is Dementia Awareness Month

Its purpose is to bring dementia to light through raising awareness and combating stigma.

Dementia Action Week 2023

World Alzheimer’s Day

SEPTEMBER 18 – 24

SEPTEMBER 21

The theme for this year is Act Now for a Dementia-Friendly Future . All of us must consider the needs of people living with dementia to create a more dementia friendly future. As of 2023, it is estimated there are 400 000 Australians living with dementia. This number will continue to rise, making the need for a Dementia-Friendly Future more important than ever.

800K

Persons

600K

Women

Men

400K

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Figure 1: Australians living with dementia between 2023 and 2058: estimated number by sex and year https://www.aihw. gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus/contents/summary 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 Estimated number of people with dementia

Dementia Care Microlearning In September, residential aged care providers, home care providers and a retirement living village will launch this dementia care microlearning to staff. From September to December aged care workers will learn about person-centred dementia care for a few minutes each work shift.

September - December

Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning 3

Why Forget Me Not ®

Obvious Choice’s Managing Director, James Stack speaks about the importance of continuous dementia care education for our aged care workforce.

“ I’m delighted to support continuous education with the Forget Me Not ® microlearning app. Our approach is backed by learning science. Learning is like exercising – the more you do it, your confidence will improve. Over the next three months, 1000s of aged care workers will get frequent 5-minute practice opportunities to continuously build dementia care knowledge. We think you’ll really enjoy the experience of learning through questions and feedback and the satisfaction of reaching mastery. ”

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How does it work? It’s easy to install and setup. Start learning in 3 minutes.

Download the app to your phone

Enter your email and the password supplied

Start learning a few minutes everyday

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Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

Every aged care worker helps Australia work towards a Dementia-Friendly Future. Day by day they create a future free of stigma, with increased awareness. Who is the learning for?

Aged care workers place people in the centre of all they do. This microlearning experience offers short bites of learning that can fit around caring.

What is the learning experience? Forget Me Not ® creates value for aged care workers by:

Providing flexibility around when to learn. 1.

Building confidence through feedback.

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Creating connections with experts. 2.

Providing recognition to learners.

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Adapting continuously to meet learners on their journey.

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Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

Every employee should feel confident in their capability and get ongoing opportunities to learn and achieve mastery. Recognition Recognition is a powerful motivator. Forget Me Not ® acknowledges the achievements of aged care workers. As they progress through the microlearning, they’ll see in app celebrations, and receive a transcript and certificate of mastery when they complete each series.

It’s OK to make mistakes. We learn just as much through failure. If an aged care worker selects an incorrect response, they’re supported with feedback so they can correctly answer the next time. When aged care workers answer correctly, this is acknowledged immediately. They are then provided with stretch learning like a resource on best practice dementia care techniques, did you know, fun fact or additional content to deepen expertise. What is the app experience?

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Correct Response

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Incorrect Response

Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

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Creating better outcomes The four - Dementia Care Microlearning modules are about better outcomes for older Australians.

Real impact improves the quality of care for persons living with dementia. This is a key project goal.

Another equally important goal is to increase each care worker’s confidence, well-being, safety, and competence when supporting older Australians living with dementia. We want to create an appetite for continuous learning, that is supported, encouraged, and seen as important and valuable.

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Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

What is included and why it is important? The Dementia Care pathway is made up of four modules. The modules offer a convenient, professional development opportunity for care workers to grow their knowledge: The pathway at a glance

Challenge negative cultural perceptions about dementia

Enhance communication skills

Suggest ways to provide person-centered and culturally sensitive dementia care

Optimise the Mealtime Experience

A Shared Understanding of Dementia An evidence-based approach to dementia care. Improving the quality of care by exploring and understanding the needs of those living with dementia.

Strengths-Based Communication Using communication techniques that empower those living with dementia while promoting dignity and respect. What strategies to use when communicating with older Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD).

Overcoming Barriers to Car e How to engage empathetically with older Australians living with dementia and know which strategies are needed to help them.

Optimising the Mealtime Experience

How to enhance the mealtime experience for older Australians living with Dementia. What to look out for, provide and avoid in diverse mealtime settings.

Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

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Top 5 FAQs What is spaced repetition?

Forget Me Not ® uses an evidence-based learning technique known as the ‘spacing and testing effect’. Answering scenario type questions requires the brain to regularly retrieve knowledge from working memory, which helps transfer the knowledge to your long-term memory. How do I achieve knowledge mastery? Each Dementia Care microlearning module includes 8 questions. Each question has a mastery setting of 3. This means the question must be answered correctly three time in a row to achieve knowledge mastery. By doing this you will have demonstrated knowledge mastery and will not be asked the question again. What if I forget to complete questions? If you forget to complete questions one day, you will receive a notification the day after, and an email to remind you. You can customise your notifications in Forget Me Not ® ’s settings. When does the learning have to be completed? You don't need to invest long hours. All you need is a few minutes each workday. How does the feedback work? We don't see right or wrong when it comes to learning, we see opportunities to stretch or support. If you answer correctly, you’ll be provided a stretch piece of information. If you answer incorrectly, you’re helped to understand why the options chosen are incorrect so you answer correctly the next time you see that question.

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Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

Read what existing aged care workers had to say about learning in this way. Below they share their thoughts about microlearning and spaced repetition. Testimonials

“ It’s good because you are always busy and on the floor – it’s userfriendly, reminds you and makes you reflect. I also like how it encourages you. It was simple and clear. Not too much jargon. We need to know everything about Dementia so its important. ” - Registered Nurse (ESL)

“ Good – convenient (free time) a few minutes. Questions – even though I get wrong explaining everything well... I’ve got 3 kids and do mostly afternoon and night, usually have to alter school pick ups for other training types so this was convenient for my life. I did medication training elsewhere – in class, can’t remember it. I remember this more. ” - Registered Personal Care (ESL)

“ Good – information and questions good – good quality, relevant and thought provoking / relevant to changes coming. Made you think and come back to it. Yes, relevant. Liked the prompts on the phone, drew back in to questions. I will continue and use it for CPD learning as an RN. Good, interesting content. Good style, option when I have time during the day. Doesn’t take long. Felt like I achieved something every day which was a positive. ” - Co-ordinator

Forget Me Not ® | Dementia Care Microlearning

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A new way to learn starts here!

Forget Me Not ® uses chat and questions to help you remember and apply essential job knowledge.

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Learners are provided questions daily and continue to progress through the Dementia Care Microlearning until they achieve Mastery.