The first occupational therapists and physiotherapists with a Master’s Degree in Dementia Care receive their diploma

Sweden’s first occupational therapists and physiotherapists with a Master’s in Dementia Care will be awarded their diploma today in the presence of HM Queen Silvia at a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The Master's Courses in Dementia Care is part of the efforts being made to improve theoretical and practical competence in the field of dementia care.

The Master's Courses in Dementia Care were created four years ago as a joint undertaking by Karolinska Institutet and Silviahemmet. It is the only education of its kind, and has recently been expanded to include occupational therapists and physiotherapists as well as physicians.

“It’s extremely gratifying that the first intake of occupational therapists and physiotherapists have now taken their Master’s in Dementia Care and that they will be receiving a diploma as ‘Silvia Occupational Therapists’ and ‘Silvia Physiotherapists’,” says Maria Eriksdotter, head of the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. “Raising the educational bar for dementia diseases is in keeping with the recently updated national guidelines for dementia care and the government’s aims.”

A total of fourteen participants have now completed this round of the Master's Courses in Dementia Care. Among the participants, one of the new degree recipients is the first physician from China to adopt the title of ‘Silvia Doctor’.

The care of dementia sufferers has been in focus recently. At the end of last year, the National Board of Health and Welfare issued updated national guidelines for the health and social care of people with dementia, and in mid March this year, the government ringfenced additional funds for raising the quality of dementia care.