Expert joins Anglicare’s dementia care program

Specialist Victoria Cain has been appointed as the Clinical Lead of Anglicare’s Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) units. Responsible for the growth of both new and current programs, Ms Cain will offer clinical oversight to guarantee best practice dementia care principles and the highest quality of care is given to all residents.

The Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) at its St Martin’s Residential Aged Care Home in Taigum, Queensland, currently delivers an evolutionary program that provides a committed, dementia-friendly environment which caters to individuals with severe symptoms of dementia who require specialist emotional and mental health support.

As a result of the program’s success, $12 million in funding was recently awarded to Anglicare by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care with an aim to apply the new Specialist Dementia Care Program’s at its Abri Residential Aged Care Home on the Gold Coast and EM Tooth Residential Aged Care Home in Brisbane South.

With previous job roles such as Dementia Consultant, Residence Manager, National Consumer Dignity & Risk Advocate and Registered Nurse behind her, Ms Cain joins Anglicare with a wealth of aged care experience,  a Bachelor of Nursing and a postgraduate degree in Gerontology from Griffith University.

She is a panel member with Dementia Australia and is also a Community of Practice Group member.

Ms Cain said that she has “really enjoyed” her time at Anglicare so far and plans to “coordinate our homes” to support “evidence-based” practice.       

“Regardless of whether a person is living with dementia, quality care is a right for all residents. It’s important to see each person as an individual and tailor our approach to their unique needs,” she said.

“I like to focus on the person, being at the heart of care as this is the key to ensuring quality outcomes for residents. Evidence based practice may not always work for the individual person and we need to be open to changing how we do things.”

Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Group Manager for Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living, Kate Hawkins, is delighted that Ms Cain has joined the team.

“In the last five months since Victoria commenced at Anglicare, she has made progress with overseeing the design and construction of the SDCP units in both our Abri and EM Tooth residential aged care homes,” Ms Hawkins said.

“It’s great to have her skillset, knowledge and expertise in dementia care as part of the Anglicare Southern Queensland team and I look forward to seeing her achieving great outcomes in the future.”       

The goal for the SDCP is to implement 35 SDCP national units, of which Anglicare has been granted funding to operate three in Queensland.

The number of people living with dementia is predicted to double by 2054, with over 421,000 Australians currently estimated to have dementia without a medical breakthrough.

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