Unit Outline

In this unit, through a person-centred lens you will research and analyse evidence-informed approaches of care for older people living with dementia. You will investigate and critically evaluate care practices around dementia, delirium and depression and Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). Review of contemporary approaches to care of older people with these conditions will be explored. Best practice environmental design principles for older people living with dementia will be researched to propose solutions that will enhance the autonomy and wellbeing of older people living with dementia.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Integrate dementia pathophysiology into care approaches to enhance the quality of life of older people.
2.	Critically evaluate gerontological nursing practice in the care of older people with dementia to align them with current best practices and wellbeing principles.
3.	Use evidence-informed approaches to meet the individual needs of the older person with dementia.
4.	Critically reflect on the ethical implications of applying environmental design principles and care approaches to support the autonomy and wellbeing of older people with dementia and BPSD.
5.	Communicate dementia care principles and approaches to healthcare teams.

Alterations as a result of student feedback

As part of our quality assurance activities, amendments have been made to assessment tasks, and one of the tasks has been replaced with a new design.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Critical Reflection on Practice	Week 4	25 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Presentation	Week 8	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Service Design Report	Week 12	40 %	LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Critical Reflection on Practice

Task Description:

This task aims to explore the impact of dementia on the assessment and care planning processes for older people. It serves as an opportunity to critically evaluate your practice, drawing upon your understanding of the pathophysiology of dementia, delirium or depression in older people.

Task Length:

1200 words

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Reflect on your nursing practice in caring for older people with dementia delirium or depression, focusing on how it aligns with current best practices and wellbeing principles.	LO2
2	Incorporate evidence-informed practices and interventions to improve and promote wellbeing in the older person with dementia.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Presentation

Task Description:

The purpose of this task is to critically appraise how your physical work environment supports older people with dementia, delirium and Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) and propose enabling environmental solutions to enhance the wellbeing of the older person with dementia.

Task Length:

1000 words (script) and 7-8 min presentation

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Assess your work environment and analyse how it aligns with best practice design principles when caring for an older person living with dementia, delirium or BPSDR.	LO2
2	Critically review the pathophysiology of dementia and BPSD and analyse how the care environment impacts older people with BPSD.	LO1
3	Outline and reflect on enabling environmental solutions and ethical implications of implementing these to reduce BPSD and enhance wellbeing of the older people.	LO4
4	Present audit findings and proposed solutions to a professional audience.	LO5

Assessment Task 3: Service Design Report

Task Description:

The task aims to develop your expertise in best practice dementia care to create a care environment for an older person with dementia and BPSD.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Design the environment and review care approaches to support the autonomy and wellbeing of older people with dementia.	LO3
2	Adapt care approaches and environments to respond to the evolving needs of older people with dementia.	LO1
3	Critically reflect on the proposed environmental design, care approaches and ethical implications to support the autonomy and wellbeing of older people with dementia and BPSD.	LO4
4	Convey design ideas and principles to a professional audience.	LO5

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes and achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need access to the following texts:

Byrne, G & Neville, C 2010, Community mental health for older people, Elsevier, Sydney.

Martins, R 2013, Understanding Alzheimer’s. The complete Australian guide to the management and prevention of dementia, MacMillan, Australia.