Julie Smallhorn is the Manager, Dementia Services in BlueCare’s Specialised Services team. She has worked alongside residents, community clients and their families for more than 19 years and is passionate about supporting people living with dementia to remain connected to inclusive communities with choice and dignity. Julie leads a statewide team of dementia consultants, advisors and specialised support staff across BlueCare’s community and residential aged care services. She is committed to lifelong learning and holds qualifications in Social Sciences with a major in Aged Care, together with training in Montessori principles and coaching. Her career highlights include work with the Older Carers Initiative and the design of sensory gardens that create safe, inclusive and welcoming environments. Julie believes person-centred care is the key to unlocking joy and wellbeing for people living with dementia.
Building Dementia Capability Where It Matters Most – Translating Specialist Expertise into Practical Support for People, Families and Care Teams
As the number of people living with dementia continues to grow, specialist dementia expertise is increasingly needed across every part of the care system. Families, personal carers, nurses, care managers and residential care teams are often supporting complex dementia presentations, yet access to specialist advice can be limited. The challenge for providers is not only delivering specialist dementia care, but ensuring specialist knowledge can be translated into practical support that improves outcomes for people living with dementia and those around them.
BlueCare’s Specialist Dementia Program responds to this challenge through a statewide consultancy model that combines Clinical Dementia Consultants, Dementia Advisors, Dementia Care Officers and more than 200 dementia-trained personal carers. Delivered across community, residential, hospital and telehealth settings, the model focuses on understanding the person behind the diagnosis and translating specialist dementia expertise into practical, tailored support.
Comprehensive assessments consider life history, strengths, routines, communication, health status, environment, carer circumstances and personal goals. Support may include behaviour support planning, family coaching, environmental recommendations, meaningful activity planning, de-escalation strategies, wayfinding support and practical guidance for concerns such as anxiety, wandering, refusal of care and perceived aggression.
The statewide model extends specialist dementia capability beyond the consultancy team itself, building confidence among families, carers and frontline staff. Individualised assessments, tailored recommendations and ongoing support help ensure strategies evolve alongside a person’s changing needs.
The program’s impact is reflected in the experiences of people living with dementia and their families. Individuals are supported to remain safely and meaningfully connected to their preferred home or care environment, with improved engagement, reduced distress and greater participation in daily life. Families report increased understanding of dementia, greater confidence responding to changing behaviours and improved capacity to continue in their caring role. As one family member reflected: “You changed not just Dad’s life but mine, my brother’s and our children and families. The support you give to one person actually supports 13 people.”
This presentation will share the design and implementation of BlueCare’s statewide dementia consultancy model, and the lessons learned in extending specialist expertise across community, residential and virtual settings. Participants will learn practical approaches to building workforce capability, supporting families, embedding person-centred dementia care and extending specialist expertise beyond dedicated dementia services. Delegates will leave with ideas that can be adapted within their own organisations to improve outcomes for people living with dementia, their families and care teams.