Knowledge and Skills for Dementia Care: the SSLD Approach

This course is designed and produced by Professor Ka Tat Tsang of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in collaboration with the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto. This course aims to inform learners about dementia and dementia care from an SSLD perspective, including, community care, in-home support, and long-term care. This course will cover the continuum of senior services and support across different settings, including, private caregiving, community services, and institutionalized residential care. Course components are designed to equip learners with practical knowledge regarding dementia and dementia care. This course also features top-notch researchers and practitioners who will be sharing their expertise and experience on recent research developments about dementia and other related topics, including, advance care planning, elder abuse, management of behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with dementia, sexuality and intimacy, consent and capacity, legal issues, principles of designed space and aging-in-place, substance use and addiction in older adults with dementia, senior care models, etc. Upon the completion of this course, learners will possess a holistic understanding of the needs and characteristics of older adults living with dementia, and will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance their competency in providing care.

• Overview and Course Introduction
• This course aims to inform learners about the continuum of senior services and support, from community care to in-home support to long-term care across various contexts, including, private caregiving community services, and institutionalized residential care. Course components are designed to equip learners with a conceptual foundation regarding dementia and dementia care. Upon the completion of this course, learners will possess a holistic understanding of the needs of older adults living with dementia, and will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills to enhance their competency in performing dementia care.
• Functional Recovery and Enhancement
• This module will cover the important role optimism plays in dementia care. Learners will study the core concepts of the SSLD system, including, the N3C-6D formulation and its applications in everyday caregiving for people living with dementia. Learners will further study the concepts of "ageing in place" and the basic principles of how to design living spaces to adequately meet the needs of older adults living with dementia.
• Applications in Daily Life
• In this module, learners will study the nature of ageism, its various forms, and its manifestations in everyday life. Learners will build on this foundation by studying different ways to counter ageist practises in different care settings. This module will also cover the general principles of psychosocial interventions from an SSLD perspective, and the Play Intervention for Dementia (PID) application of SSLD. In addition, the importance of caregivers' wellness, as well as different strategies to practice self-care will also be covered.
• Mental Health, Psychosocial and Behavioural Challenges
• This module will examine different mental health, psychosocial, and behavioural challenges of caring for people living with dementia. The topics that will be covered are: managing responsive behaviours; substance use in older adults; intimacy and consent for people living with dementia; elder abuse; as well as legal issues, including, for example, consent and capacity, and advance care planning.
• From Attachment, Intimacy, Sexuality to the Lifeworld
• In this module, learners will study issues relevant to attachment, intimacy and sexuality in people living with dementia in various settings, as well as the concept of Lifeworld. This module will also revisit the topic of ageism and examine its implications in the contexts of erotophobia and desexualization. The special topic of the intersections of ageing and LGBTQ+ will also be explored.
• Holistic Experience and Transcendence (HT)
• In this module, learners will be equipped with an understanding of the HT formulation in SSLD. Specifically, learners will have the opportunity to study the concepts and principles of personhood and agency of older adults. The intersections of ageing and social exclusion, as well as the role of technology in furthering social inclusion will also be examined.
• Organizational Development and Service System Enhancement
• This module will cover the circumstances of senior service delivery in a global context. Examples of domestic senior service organizations and their service programs will be introduced. Learners will have the opportunity to examine what constitutes a good senior service system and will study how to implement holistic and person-centred care for people living with dementia in various settings. This module will conclude by revisiting how to counter the pervasiveness of ageing from an SSLD perspective.