Content:

• Getting started (0:20)

• Guiding through the journey e.g. driving and transport (1:12)

• Carer Tips (3:08)

• Completing Topics (4:54)

• Searching e.g. changes in behaviours (5:10)

• Saving for later (6:30)

• Some quick carer tips (7:00).

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Introduction

 

Welcome to My Dementia Companion CARER, your very own toolbox on your computer or mobile!

 

This short tutorial video is designed to help you get started using the tool to help you, your family or friends, of all ages to navigate the dementia journey and how to manage challenges at home.

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As you know the dementia journey is complex and confusing, and we're here to simplify that for you as much as we can. We have created the world's first comprehensive dementia journey, and made it interactive as clickable tiles in the CARER tool to help you and the person you are caring for. 

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Getting started

 

After registering and answering a few questions, you are now in the home screen.

 

One of the questions you were asked was about the three biggest challenges that you facing at the moment. You'll find these three Topics are now on this clickable journey map and they have a little circle with 'To Start' on the tile, for example, 'Getting a diagnosis', 'Future planning: legal matters' and 'Driving and transport'. You can do these in any order that suits you.

 

Guiding through the journey e.g. driving and transport

 

Let's take driving and transport as an example. You can click on the Topic tile to start.

 

Because the CARER tool is personalised just for you, it will ask you questions such as, does John drive?

 

If you click 'Yes', it will take you down one journey and if you click 'No', it will take you down a different journey.

 

For example, if we click 'No', the next Section appears and it will be because John doesn't drive, but there are other driving related supports you can get. Then click on the orange button 'Show me more' to

proceed.

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The next Section will appear to guide you through some support to help you to continue engaging with the community, getting to those appointments and the things that you need or like to keep doing. We really want to give you the practical stuff to help you as a carer, such as entitlements and support.

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You can click on the orange button 'Show us more' to proceed.

 

The next Section will appear and its personalised to your State or Territory, such as disability parking scheme in Victoria, which is where we have said we live in this example.

 

Under the blue 'Information' button, you can see the information to help you. We make the information as simple as possible and the light blue words with a line underneath is a link to trusted sources or directly to forms, so it's practical and easy for you.

 

When you click on that link, a new window will open. You will have to remember to close that window by clicking on the little 'X' on the right side of that tab to come back to the CARER tool, or simply click on the CARER tool window again.

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Carer Tips

 

You will also see a button called 'Carer Tips', where you can see what other carers are doing, including practical ideas or just simply letting you know that you are not alone.

 

For example here, Rhi's mom couldn't walk much anymore because of her dementia and it made it harder for them to get out, but the disability parking permit has helped because it allowed them to park close to where they needed to be.

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Even better, we encourage you to share your own Tips by clicking on 'Share my Tip to help others' and go into the draw to win a gift voucher for your contribution to helping other carers.

 

So by clicking back on this 'Information' button, it'll take you back to the general information with the previous link.

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Guiding through the journey e.g. driving and transport con.

 

You can click 'Next' for other entitlements and support to help you, such as taxi subsidy scheme, patient transport schemes and much more. This is helpful because it helps to prompt you on things you may not have even considered before.

 

We will click through them quickly for the purpose of this tutorial video, just to show you that you have all the information here, in one place and it's current, practical and quality resources.

 

All the white ticks and red circles show your work through the journey and it's unique to you. More importantly, it remembers it for you, so you won't be lost along the way.

 

If you want to revisit something earlier, such as a taxi subsidy scheme, you can simply scroll up and click on that Section heading to expand it. You can then just click on the heading to collapse it again. 

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Completing Topics

 

Once you have completed this Topic by clicking 'Finish and Mark Complete' in the last Section, or by clicking the 'Mark Complete' button at the top, you'll return to the 'Home' journey view, with that Topic marked 'Complete'.

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Searching e.g. changes in behaviours

 

In another example, if the person you are caring for is repeatedly calling you, you can simply type in the words in the search bar at the top. You don't even have to finish the word before it finds what you're looking for.

 

You can click on the relevant result to open it. For example repetitive questioning. That Section will then open up and you can see links to videos, checklists, care strategies or solutions, forms and more, all to help you with what to do, where to go and how to manage challenges at home. All resources are quality and up-to-date from experts and professional organisations.

 

Remember, when you click on a link such as this video, it will open in a new window. After watching it, just remember to close that window to come back to the CARER tool, or simply click on the CARER tool window again.

 

Don't forget the practical 'Carer Tips' by clicking this button and share your own tips by clicking on 'Share my Tip to help others'.

 

You can also click on 'View the rest of the Topic' to see all the other repetition related challenges. 

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Saving

 

If this is something you want to come back to later, you can just click on 'Save for Later', which you can find again in the 'Saved' tab, which has a heart next to it. All your saved items can be found in the 'Saved' tab.

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'Home ' journey view

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If you're ever lost in the tool simply click on the 'Home' button, then you'll return to your journey page to help you start again. Sometimes, tiles include multiple Topics. You can see them by clicking on the word 'More'.

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Some quick carer tips

 

Before we finish up this tutorial, there are a few important things we want to mention, especially if you're new to the carer role:

 

• Being a carer is really busy and you may think you don't have the time to read. But, it's so important and the CARER tool makes it easy for you. When you have a cup of tea or you're waiting in the doctor's surgery, just check out the journey on your phone and see there are anything that you're entitled to or resources that will help you, or any new skills that you can learn to cope.

• Any small bit will help and you can do it at your own pace. Getting on top of things early is important, so use the journey to guide you when you can.

• Because, if the earlier stage items are not in place, things can get really hard down the track.

• Everyone's dementia journey is different, there's no right way to do dementia care. Using the CARER tool as a guide to prompt you to problem solve for your situation and live well with challenges.

• Remember, this does not replace advice from professionals. It supplements advice to help you when you are often on your own, so you can manage in a way that you want to.

• You can find this tutorial video and other handy tutorial tips in the 'Welcome! Start here for care of basics and more' Topic.

• If you have any suggestions, please contact us via the 'Questions' button, 'Chat' icon or 'Useful?' link located in each Section, we love suggestions and hearing from you.

 

Thank you for being a carer. We see you and we know it's not easy. The CARER tool is here to help you along the way.