DSA’s services are tailored to the individual and assessed on a case by case basis.
If the person with dementia has behaviours that are impacting their care or their care provision and lives in the community, residential aged care, or the hospital setting, a trained dementia consultant will go through a series of assessment criteria to determine whether they should be considered for Dementia Behaviour Advisory Service (DBMAS) or the Severe Behaviour Response Team (SBRT).
Generally, a DSA consultant will provide a face to face visit within one week of acceptance of DBMAS support or 48 hours for SBRT. The consultant will observe the person with dementia during an on-site assessment to develop strategies and advice.
A summary of the visit and key strategies will be sent the day after the visit via email and fax.
For DBMAS a Recommendation Report will be completed within seven days of the onsite visit. A consultant will then be in contact once a week or as agreed to follow up on uptake and effectiveness of the recommendations. A subsequent site visit may also be required.
For SBRT a Recommendation Report will be completed within 14 days and a Care Plan completed within two months. All timelines may be earlier to meet client needs. A consultant will then be in contact twice a week or as agreed to follow up on uptake and effectiveness of the recommendations.
If the person with dementia has severe or very severe behaviours where their behaviours are impacting their care, and lives in a residential care setting, a trained dementia consultant will go through a series of assessment criteria to determine whether they should be considered for a Needs Based Assessment (NBA) for entry into the Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP).