Master In Dementia Studies Awarded by University of Stirling | CSM ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL, JobsCentral Learning

Course introduction

Introduction

The social and economic impact of Dementia in Singapore and throughout the world is increasing year-on-year with our aging population. Dementia and its accompanying woes cost Singapore $1.4 billion every year, making it among the biggest drains on the healthcare system here.

This alarming figure, uncovered for the first time by local and international researchers, underscores the need to prevent the debilitating disease from taking hold in greying Singapore. (Straits Times, May 2, 2016) Therefore, there are increasing research and employment opportunities for dementia care.
This course will enhance your employability within the broad field of dementia care, enabling you to move to more specialised and promoted posts within health and social care settings.

Also, this course encourages collaborative, interdisciplinary, critical, and reflective learning and seeks to produce leaders of change in the field.

For professionals already working in the field and carers/volunteers who are supporting people with dementia care, this innovative course has developed to provide you with an in-depth, research-based knowledge of Dementia and approaches to dementia care.

It will impart the transferable skills that enable you to give your expertise to colleagues and other students, transfer awareness, implement action in the community, and provide training to family members and carers.

This course will enhance your employability within the broad field of dementia care, enabling you to move to more specialised and promoted posts within health and social care settings.

For professionals already working in the field and carers/volunteers who are supporting people with dementia care, this innovative course has developed to provide you with an in-depth, research-based knowledge of Dementia and approaches to dementia care.

It will impart the transferable skills that enable you to give your expertise to colleagues and other students, transfer awareness, implement action in the community, and provide training to family members and carers.

Curriculum Overview

Programme Structure

Course Module & Synopsis:
Dementia and the environment (A)
Topics for discussion in the module include ageing and the environment, the importance of place in person-centred care, architecture and design, home and housing, interior and exterior design and the role of outdoor space in supporting people living with Dementia.

Critical and creative approaches to Dementia (B)
Provides a foundation for the course as a whole and has a focus on two interlocking themes. By exploring different critical perspectives on Dementia and their underlying theoretical context.

Various ways in understanding Dementia and approached in fields such as medicine, psychology and the social sciences and examine the implications for dementia care policy and practice.

Critical and reflecting thinking in dementia studies (C)
Introduce students to critical and reflective thinking in dementia studies. To develop skills in essential reading and writing and enhance their ability to synthesise, reference and cite literature adequately.

Living with Dementia (D)
Students will look at the experiences of people with Dementia, their carers and families, through the lifespan of the condition from diagnosis to end of life care and death. Focuses on the lived experiences of people with Dementia and draws on the increasing amount of research literature that engages directly with people with Dementia and their carers.

Enhancing dementia practice (E)
The module aims to contextualise current practice and to unpack the underlying theories and mechanisms that support good practise in dementia care.

Frameworks that influence practice, considering legislation and policy as well as ethical and practice guidelines.
Reflection on the workforce, considering who is taking care of people with this disease and what gaps and needs there are in their knowledge and skills.

Understanding and evaluating evidence in dementia studies (F)
Provides students with skills and knowledge that will enable them to evaluate a range of evidence from research and practice effectively and to utilise than this evidence to build a strong knowledge base and improve practice within their workplace. The module focuses on four keys themes:

evaluating the research evidence
understanding statistical evidence
promoting participatory practice and research, and utilising skills in social media to develop training and knowledge networks

Researching quality of life and Dementia: Approaches and methods (G)
Focuses on different methodologies and methods used to research the quality of life. Broad methodological approaches to understanding and investigating the concept of quality of life, linking to more comprehensive theoretical frameworks for understanding Dementia.

Researching Dementia (H)
Introduces students to the third year of postgraduate study and provides a foundation for conducting care research. The module introduces theories related to dementia research methodology, methods and analysis, and discusses how such theory can conceptualise within different models of care research.

Developing a dementia research proposal (I)
Write a proposal for a research project in the field of care. The module will guide students in identifying a suitable topic, developing research questions and adopting appropriate data collection and analysis methods. After completing the module, students will further equipped with the research skills necessary to research as part of their professional practice.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in a relevant subject.

Applicants should work in a related field or have a personal experience of caring for people with Dementia.

For students whose first language is not English, a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 and above or equivalent is required.