It is often a difficult decision to enrol in a formal professional development learning opportunity. Not only do you weigh up the financial costs but there is the time commitment to attend as well as consideration as to how easily the new knowledge can be integrated into your practice.
I was recently asked for some feedback on the COPE (Care of People with Dementia in their Environment) training within the OTs who love learning Facebook group. Instead of just giving a few lines of feedback, I wanted to share my experience to help others when faced with the same dilemma.
I completed the program online in June 2022. My reason for enrolling in the course was that I felt I lacked an evidence-based approach to support people with dementia and their families as they struggle to respond to challenging behaviour. I did not feel that I needed any previous experience although I did find it helpful to recall previous clients who may have demonstrated some of the behaviours explored.
PRESENTERS
The presenters, Sally Day and Dr Kate Laver, were engaging and knowledgeable. They were able to draw upon their own experience and share stories of how they have implemented the program.
FORMAT
The format of the online program was interactive with a good balance between theory and opportunities to practice in small groups. If you are averse to role playing, then you may need to prepare yourself in advance. As much as I find them forced and lacking authenticity, they are a great way for you to have a go at using the language and applying the process.
TIME
The online program was offered over two consecutive days. There was the expectation to have completed some pre-reading and then there is the time required to integrate this process into your current practice.
RESOURCES
There were a number of resources provided prior to the session with the expectation of some pre-reading to be completed. I found this to be a valuable way to become familiar with the program and be able to follow the content more easily.
One of the unexpected benefits was the offer of three post-training group coaching sessions. I was not able to attend all of them however I felt reassured knowing that if I had any questions or challenges that came up while implementing this new knowledge, I could ask in these sessions.
Additionally, there is an online forum set up via Microsoft teams that Sally and Kate encourage you to join so you can continue to learn from others who are implementing the program. There are also electronic versions of the documentation available within the forum which is great when working within a paperless practice.
IMPLEMENTATION
As someone who works for themselves in a solo role in private practice, I had reservations about how I would implement this into my current services. It is an intervention protocol that is structured to be delivered over a series of up to ten sessions. I was not confident that aged care package providers would approve the funding to support that level of intervention, but I decided to go ahead and complete the program as I felt that there would be elements that would still be relevant to my practice. I felt that I could look to build it into my business in the long-term.
So, to summarise, deciding to enrol in the COPE program is a significant investment of time. The financial cost at the time was up to $1,150 but could have been reduced if you were an OTA member and if you enrolled within the early-bird period. Although I don’t feel that I have fully implemented my new knowledge, I believe the need for this type of intervention will continue to grow and is something that I will continue to integrate into my practice.
If you are keen to complete the COPE training, you can find further information HERE.
If you want to be a part of the OTs who love learning Facebook group and be a part of other conversations about CPD, then come and join us HERE.
