Completed Research Project
Evaluating a "First Intervention Dementia Service"
Investigators: Toye C,
Funding: Dementia service development grant from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Administering institution: Amana Living with evaluation by Edith Cowan University (evaluation portion $6,281)
This project evaluated the piloting of a new service, the Amana Living First Support Service. Obtaining services for people who have memory problems or who have just learned that they have dementia, and their families, can be difficult. Also, these people may need a lot of emotional support at this time. The First Support Service used a specially trained ‘Link Person’ – a person to provide emotional support, practical advice, and to be a link to other services - in a new service intended to improve outcomes for people with dementia and their family carers. The evaluation examined the suitability of the Link Person training program as well as the perceptions of clients (people with dementia and family carers) and of those referring people to the service. Questionnaires were developed by the evaluation team. A report has been provided to Amana Living for inclusion in its final report to the Department of Health and Ageing.
