Caring for Spirit: Developing online dementia education and training with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter Aboriginal Australians) experience rates of dementia 3-5 times higher than the general Australian population. Promoting dementia health literacy in culturally appropriate ways has been identified by Aboriginal communities as a priority to improve awareness of dementia and support timely diagnosis and service access, enhance care, and support wellbeing for family caregivers. This project aimed to respond to the need for culturally relevant, evidence-based and accessible dementia education with this population. METHOD: The 'Caring for Spirit' project sought to develop a dementia education website and online training program for the Aboriginal health and aged care workforce, as well as for family caregivers. Resource development applied the following overarching principles: (1)Dementia information was produced from Aboriginal cultural perspectives, foregrounding research evidence and lived experience in Aboriginal populations; (2)The project was led by an Aboriginal project manager and engaged Aboriginal consultants throughout; (3)Training was designed using appropriate and engaging pedagogical methods; (4)Resources needed to be accessible to a wide range of users, taking into consideration cultural diversity, technology access, disabilities and literacy levels; (5)Extensive community consultation and engagement guided the development and dissemination of the resources. The project team worked beside Aboriginal Elders, colleagues and wider networks, established community research partners, and dementia researchers. RESULT: Workshops were conducted with community-based researchers and service providers to scope education needs and plan the content, and later, seek feedback on initial website content and design. Infographics and videos were important elements, including interviews with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal dementia experts from across Australia, and scripted drama to illustrate key concepts in understanding dementia. To complement the website, an interactive online training program featured exploratory non-linear progression across four modules, reflective exercises, voice-over narrations, and multimedia. Training modules were evaluated by our network of project collaborators to ensure that information provided was accurate, supported by research, and presented in a way that is culturally safe, respectful, practical, and easy to understand and apply. CONCLUSION: These resources, designed with older Aboriginal people and their communities, will contribute to reducing the high burden of dementia in this population, and enhance dementia care.