Caring from bedtime to breakfast focus of free course for shift workers

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Unpacking that question is a good starting point for shiftworkers to ensure a person-centred approach to caring for people with dementia at night, says Belinda Goodenough, knowledge translation manager at Dementia Training Australia (DTA).

“Sleep matters to everybody,” Goodenough said, and added while dementia adds a perspective to sleep that people who work at night must be mindful of, there are still individual differences and person centred-care will try to identify, unpack and work with, rather than against, the night owls.

She said that it’s also important to take into account what’s best for the people who are caring for the person with dementia.

A new free online course, Bedtime to Breakfast – Caring At Night For People With Dementia, aims to unpack these aspects of shift work, walking learners through self care, facts about sleep and a salutogenic approach to care.

Course developer Goodenough said it is mainly for residential aged care workers who are supporting people with dementia at night, but added there is value for anyone who is looking for strategies for managing life at night.

Nursing Review spoke with Goodenough about the ways the night-time context ties into person-centred care and advice for workers to manage their own health and wellbeing.

Developed in partnership with Life Care, Bedtime to Breakfast starts today and will be repeated throughout the year. Click here for more information.

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