Today, there are approximately 17,000 people living with dementia across our Northern suburbs. According to the Northern Sydney Local Health District, the main types of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and Lewy body disease.
This number is only set to increase without significant intervention, with almost a million Australians projected to be diagnosed by 2054.
With the nature of the disease being so pervasive, carers and family members of those who live with dementia are often handed the impossible task of navigating care.
Dementia Training Australia is an association funded by the Australian Government, proving national education and training on caring for people living with dementia. With the expected rise of diagnoses, DTA’s work is more important than ever.
Established in 2016, DTA combines the expertise of multiple bodies. The University of Wollongong; La Trobe University; Queensland’s University of Technology; University of Western Australia; Dementia Australia; and an associate partnership with University of Tasmania Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. Central coordination is provided by consortium lead, the University of Wollongong.
Dementia Training Australia’s most popular course is ‘Navigating Changed Behaviour’, specifically designed for aged care workers and health professionals who provide care for dementia patients. In the first half of 2025, DTA note nearly 25,000 course enrolments, and the association predict with the increase of dementia diagnosis, this number will continue to grow.
Other courses include ‘Reducing the Use of Antipsychotic Medicines in Changed Behaviour’, ‘Decoding Delirium’, ‘Dementia Care Training for Volunteers’, ‘Caring for LGBTI People with Dementia’, and ‘Reducing Medicines in People Living with Dementia’, among a host of others.
‘We’ve developed a Learning Pathways tool to help individuals identify the most suitable dementia training course based on their professional role, experience level and specific learning objectives,’ says Dementia Training Australia’s Executive Director, Dr Isabelle Meyer. ‘We feel strongly that skills in dementia care aren’t just a nice-to-have, they’re necessary across so many industries and in our day-to-day lives.’
To learn more about Dementia Training Australia, visit www.dta.com.au
