Melbourne
Monday 15th July
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Brisbane
Wednesday 17th July
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Sydney
Thursday 18th July
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Auckland
Tuesday 23rd July
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Early Bird Prices – while tickets last!

Therapeutic Positioning & Handling in
Dementia Care: A Revolutionary Approach

Medifab is proud to host Belgian Senior Physiotherapist, Jo De Clercq, in Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

Jo’s courses are gaining worldwide recognition for their excellence in supporting individuals with dementia; the outcomes and quality of life improvements Jo constantly achieves with his clients and network support are staggering.

Jo’s training courses have been described as “revolutionary”, “mind-blowing”, thought-provoking”, “inspiring” and “practice-changing”, among others.

Jo will delve into the importance of understanding the progressive deterioration of the
brain in individuals with dementia and its impact on their sensory needs. Through his work, Jo will demonstrate that by addressing these needs, we can effectively support  individuals with progressed dementia in preserving their body shape and significantly enhancing their quality of care and life.

Participants will learn about working with a sensory-informed and stabilised positioning concept, focusing on addressing the root causes rather than just the symptoms, thereby preventing issues such as: paratonia, foetal posture, muscle contractures, movement restrictions, postural deviations, pressure ulcers, and challenging care situations.

Hosted alongside Joana Santiago

Joana brings over 15 years of international experience in Occupational Therapy specialising in Posture Care, Seating and Positioning. With a passion for improving functionality and quality of life, Joana has worked across five countries, delivering engaging training and presentations at prestigious events globally. Now based in Sydney, Joana’s dedication to individualised care and her vibrant teaching style make her a renowned educator in Australasia and beyond.

This training session is designed for healthcare providers including nurses, aged care facility managers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and client caregivers.

Key concepts to be explored include: Paratonia Sensory-Friendly Bed Mattresses Single-Handed Care Prevention of Elderly Abuse Turn-Only-Once Concept Sensory-Informed & Stabilised Positioning Pressure Ulcer Preventatively Justified In-situ Transferring Slings And More…

Jo will lead the training session, offering participants opportunities for practical engagement and sharing insights
into the remarkable outcomes and best practices he has achieved for the residents he supports.

At the conclusion of this training, participants should be able to…

1. Describe how deterioration of the brain has an impact on the sensory needs of individuals with dementia.
2. Explain what paratonia is, what the cause of it could be and how we must manage it.
3. Explain why a Sensory-Informed and Stabilised Positioning Concept is important for preventing body shape changes relating to dementia.
4. Describe the impact that different types of beds and mattresses have on stabilised positioning of individuals with progressed dementia.
5. Demonstrate at least 3 positions that we can achieve using a modular bed positioning system in a 24/7 approach.
6. Apply the ‘Turn-Only-Once’ bed care concept in their clinical practice or show other primary caregivers how to do this.
7. Correctly use an In-situ Transfer Sling to transfer an individual from a lying to a seated position with the passive hoist.