Just ask Annie

Developed by Dementia Australia with funding from Gandel Philanthropy, Ask Annie provides short, self-paced learning modules based on real life scenarios to support those caring for people living with dementia. The platform also assists carers to refresh their skills and learn new tips and techniques at the same time.

With more than 130,000 people working in home and community care across Australia, Ask Annie may become a game changer in how community dementia carers provide support. The virtual training tool is available for purchase by provider organisations as a multi-licence package for their staff to access anywhere, anytime.

“The fact that it’s accessible on a mobile phone and on the tablets for our home carers to use at work, makes it really convenient,” said Bridget Howes, BlueCross General Manager Model of Care.

“It means that, for example, if one of our home carers has questions about how to care for a client living with dementia, like mealtimes or showering, they could take a few minutes before they arrive at their home to brush up on some tips that could help alleviate any challenges that may arise in the situation,” said Bridget.

Jacqui Simao, BlueCross Workforce Manager, couldn’t agree more. “Because it’s so portable, carers can access it in a place and at a time that’s convenient for them. They don’t have to fit in with other people’s schedules. They can refer to it as many times as they need to,” Jacqui explained.

“I think Ask Annie will appeal to all of our workforce, whether they are highly experienced carers who've been in the field for a long, long time or whether they're brand-new carers who are just starting out.”

Ask Annie was rolled out to the BlueCross home care team in early November and the feedback has been very positive. Carers are finding the app easy to use, enjoyable and very useful in helping them to strengthen their skills in delivering support to clients.