Dementia is a health condition that comes with many challenges.
It can affect people's memory and their ability to perceive their surrounding environment.
Marie Alsord, Head of Dementia Support Australia, explains some of the changes that people suffering from dementia may experience.
But those challenges can also affect the people around them.
One prime example is front-line emergency service workers, or first responders, who are called to assist people suffering from dementia.
Many of these workers don't have the necessary skills to understand what a person suffering from dementia is going through.
A new government-backed online course hopes to change that.
Isabelle Meyer is the Executive Director of Dementia Training Australia.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2022 over 400,000 people were estimated to be suffering from dementia.
Many of them are from diverse communities and don't use English as their first language.
Dementia can affect how a bilingual person communicates in their second language, with many people losing their English speaking skills.
Dementia Support Australia's Marie Alsord explains why it is important to include messaging for people from various backgrounds.
Isabelle Meyer from Dementia Training Australia says this new online course also provides methods for first responders to handle patients who might not speak English.
She says those methods are mainly focused around body language
Moreover, Isabelle Meyer adds that it is quite common for people from diverse backgrounds who suffer from dementia to try to communicate using body language.
She says the course addresses this issue
The online course marks the first of several initiatives by Dementia Training Australia in an effort to expand its offerings of courses, practical resources and training offerings.
