1. Putting dementia research into practice
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak at this important conference, about translating dementia research into practice.
Alzheimer's Australia is the peak body providing support and advocacy for people with dementia and their families and carers in Australia. Our organisation advocates for the needs of people living with all types of dementia, and for their families and carers; and provides support services, education, and information. We are committed to achieving a dementia-friendly Australia where people with dementia are respected, supported, empowered, and engaged in community life.
Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia, and there is no cure.
There are currently more than 353,800 Australians living with dementia, and more than one million family members and others involved in their care.
Dementia poses a unique challenge for Australia due to increasing rates of prevalence, the personal impact and the impact on carers and families not to mention the economic costs and social implications. People with dementia experience stigma and social isolation, and family carers often find it difficult to balance work, life and caring responsibilities.
Maree McCabe, National CEO Alzheimer’s Australia

2. National Quality Dementia Care Initiatives (NQDCI)
Consumer-driven, evidence based knowledge translation
Translation of research evidence into new and improved programs and services for people living with dementia
Alzheimer’s Australia has been driving innovative new approaches that try and improve the quality of care for people with Dementia.
In research, our work with the National Quality Dementia Care Initiatives are now beginning to bear fruit. Traditionally, the translation of dementia research evidence into practical outcomes has presented challenges.
NQDCI, through the support of the JO & JR Wicking Trust and government funding, has demonstrated world leadership in its approach to consumer-driven, evidence-based knowledge translation.
Projects under the NQDCI have embedded co-design principles throughout their development. Consumers are not only reviewing content for the projects but are involved through membership of the steering and advisory committees, co-designing the key messages, content, resources, implementation and evaluation processes. Engaging consumers throughout the design process of the projects will lead to programs that better address consumer needs.
The NQDCI strengthens Alzheimer’s Australia capacity to influence health and aged care public policy, programs and services, and supports a suite of projects that work through national stakeholder networks and under the direction of consumers to fast track the translation of existing research evidence into new and improved programs and services for people living with dementia.

3. ENGAGE, ENABLE, EMPOWER
Developed and designed with the guidance and participation of people living with dementia
Dementia-friendly web design
One such example is the Lifestyle Project: Engage, Enable, Empower.
The lifestyle project’s key messages and resources are specifically designed for people with dementia and developed with the guidance and participation of people living with dementia. The Engage, Enable, Empower booklet and website provide people with dementia information, recommendations and encouragement to stay active and engaged in meaningful activities.
The resources are designed in an accessible format, through the development of the Engage, Enable, Empower website, Alzheimer’s Australia has led the way in dementia-friendly web design and demonstrated a strong commitment to consumers in the creation of dementia friendly resources.
Additionally the resources developed in the project can be utilised to educate service providers and raise community awareness of the ways in which people with dementia can stay active and involved in their own lives. The success of projects like this one is the extensive consumer involvement and consultation undertaken to develop a unique and specific suite of resources designed to benefit and be accessible to people living with dementia.

4. DEMENTIA ENABLING ENVIRONMENT PROJECT (DEEP)
An Australian first
Focuses on architecture, interior design and gardens
Practical, inexpensive and useful ideas
Another example from the NQDCI portfolio is the Dementia Enabling Environment Project (DEEP), which provides for increased demand for enabling environments for people living with dementia. The DEEP project was led by Alzheimer’s Australia WA in partnership with University of Wollongong. This national project is focussed on translating research into practice in the area of enabling environments for people with dementia. This is an Australian first project that translates enabling environments research into practice and focuses on architecture, interior design and gardens. The project team assist architects, designers, landscapers, aged care staff, families and those with dementia to refurbish or build future care environments and support families to adapt their homes by identifying key environmental changes.
The DEEP team provides consumers with a wide range of practical, inexpensive and useful ideas, examples and recommendations as well as resources to make the necessary changes and evaluate the outcomes.
The project has also been successful in introducing cognitive impairment design principles into tertiary architecture programs run by several Australian universities. It has also worked to achieve dementia-enabling regulation through membership on two Australian Standards review panels and helped provide evidence of how initiatives can cross inter-sectoral barriers and engage diverse professional groups.

5. VIRTUAL DEMENTIA EXPERIENCE
A very different example of how innovative technology can influence practice and policy is the Virtual Dementia Experience, developed by Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria. The aim is to help care professionals understand how a person with dementia experiences the world, and what environmental aspects are friendly or hostile to the person with dementia.
Launched in October 2013, the Virtual Dementia Experience is an immersive, interactive virtual reality experience that invades the senses and takes people into the world of a person living with dementia, simulating thoughts, fears, and challenges. The simulation uses game technology and was created in collaboration with Melbourne game developers Opaque Multimedia. It has been recognized by a number of state and national awards, and is a really innovative use of technology to improve care and outcomes for people with dementia.
Perc Walkley Dementia Learning Centre

6. EDIE (EDUCATIONAL DEMENTIA IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE)
Another innovation in technology is the just released app EDIE, the next generation in the use of serious games technology developed by Alzheimer's Australia Vic. The app, EDIE, (Educational Dementia Immersive Experience, pronounced Eddie), is used exclusively with Google Cardboard and aims to build empathy in the user for people living with dementia – as it is designed to let people into the world of the person living with dementia. EDIE provides the user with a 360-degree immersive experience that enables them to see first-hand the challenges faced by people with dementia.

7. DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY HOME APP
Provides carers with ideas to make their home more accessible for people living with dementia
Similarly the Dementia-Friendly Home app launched by Alzheimer’s Australia Vic is also aimed are enabling people living with dementia to maintain their independence and continue living at home.
It also helps build on their self-esteem, which can have a profound impact on the quality of life for a person living with dementia, as well as families and carers. Most people are not aware that people with dementia may experience spatial and visual challenges as well as the more commonly understood memory issues. Using interactive 3D game technology Unreal Engine, the tablet app provides carers with ideas to make their home more accessible for people living with dementia.

8. VIRTUAL FOREST PROJECT
Imagine being able to take a person with dementia out of their everyday experience and into a virtual environment through which they will experience awe, wonder, amazement and joy.
The Virtual Forest project is another foray by Alzheimer’s Australia Vic into virtual support for people with dementia. The project uses a sensory therapy application designed to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia through the use of video game technology.
It utilises cutting-edge technology, which aims to turn a living room or lounge in an aged care home into an enchanted space that both stimulates the senses and engages through interactivity.
The virtual environment is being designed from the ground up specifically for people with dementia and will provide a beautiful, calming and highly interactive experience.

9. Thank you. Maree McCabe National CEO Alzheimer’s Australia.
Consumer input has to be the vital element in translating research into practice.
So we at Alzheimer’s Australia are excited to be starting to see how innovative research ideas are actually translating into everyday scenarios, and improving outcomes for people living with dementia and their families and carers.
One lesson we at Alzheimer’s Australia have learn through this work is that consumer input has to be the vital element in determining these projects and consumer satisfaction has to be an integral part of measuring the quality.
Overall consumer involvement in the development and implementation of these processes is critical. Consumers and carers should be engaged as key partners in the development of all our research work.
As the peak body that represents people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s Australia will continue to utilise and advocate for this model of translating the findings of evidenced-based research into everyday services and programs that can make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia and their families and carers.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Maree McCabe
National CEO Alzheimer’s Australia.