The new feature of the Ask Annie app is designed to help providers meet the requirements of the new standards.
A new dementia care training needs analysis tool helps dementia care providers identify their workforce’s skill gaps and strengths and meet the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that come into effect on 1 November 2025.
The new standards require a continuous quality improvement approach to workforce planning and management, based on needs analyses.
The Tell TiNA app feature was developed by the Deakin University’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative together with Dementia Australia to help organisations build a dementia care training strategy and provide a base for professional development programs and help meet the new requirements.
Staff answer 14 questions posed to them by the app character, “Tina”, based on the four tiers in Dementia Training Australia’s National Dementia Education and Training Standards Framework.
Their answers are analysed and the app recommends next steps to the staff member.
The analysis is also available to the provider on their dashboard, providing evidence needed to demonstrate commitment to dementia-specific education for the related quality standard.
The new app can be previewed via the free Ask Annie mobile app. Providers can subscribe to access the dashboard and monitor staff participation and performance.
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The Ask Annie app has a range of short, practical lessons on topics such as communication, activity planning, understanding clients’ needs, adapting the environment, planning behaviour support, and related topics (elder abuse, palliative care, and motor neurone diseases) as well as advice and problem-solving help for day-to-day tasks, for home and community care workers, residential care workers, residential aged care workers and care workers. It also has a dashboard allowing providers to track workers’ progress on training modules.
“People living with dementia have specific care and support requirements that cannot be delivered without appropriate education and training of the workforce,” said Dementia Australia executive director of Services, Advocacy and Research Dr Kaele Stokes.
“Dementia education must not be a once off.
“It needs to include a regular process of formalised continuing professional development that benefits people receiving care as well as staff themselves.”