Building Bridges Network Monthly Events
28 May 2026
We host regular events that balance connection with practical insight, so attendees leave with new relationships, fresh ideas, and clear next steps.
28 May 2026 - Thursday Afternoon
Venue: Global Rehabilitation Service Office, Silverwater
Understanding Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: Building Better Support Around the Person
Building Bridges Network brings together another event this May! This month at Building Bridges Network, we’re focusing on dementia and cognitive impairment. The focus is on practical strategies, shared experiences, and strengthening how we work together across the sector.
- Understanding dementia and cognitive impairment
- Communication and person-centred support
- Behaviour, risk, and decision-making
- Supporting daily routines and changing needs
- Collaboration across disability, aged care, health, and community
Join us this month for another Building Bridges Network for an afternoon of learning, connection, and real conversations.
Register Now and Join Us!
More about this Event
Building Bridges Network Event | Join the Conversation
Understanding Dementia & Cognitive Impairment Join the Conversation
How do we better support people living with dementia or cognitive impairment as their needs change over time?
Dementia and cognitive impairment can significantly impact how a person communicates, makes decisions, manages daily routines, and experiences the world around them. For providers, families, and professionals, the challenge is not only understanding the diagnosis, but learning how to respond with patience, flexibility, and person-centred support.
This Building Bridges event will explore practical approaches to supporting people living with dementia or cognitive impairment across disability, aged care, health, and community settings. The discussion will focus on dignity, communication, risk, behaviour, decision-making, and how providers can work together to improve safety, consistency, and quality of life.
This event is designed to bring the sector together to share knowledge, strengthen practice, and better understand how we can support people as their needs change over time.
Gain Practical Insight into Dementia & Cognitive Support
This May, Building Bridges Network brings together professionals, providers, and community voices for an important conversation focused on practical approaches to supporting people across disability, aged care, health, and community settings.
This session is designed to explore the real-world challenges surrounding communication, behaviour, decision-making, risk, and person-centred support while strengthening the way services and professionals work together around the individual.
We bring together professionals and providers to explore the bigger picture where communication, dignity, collaboration, and practical support come together to create more connected and responsive support systems.
What to learn and expect at this event:
- Dementia and cognitive impairment
- Dual diagnosis: dementia plus another mental health, neurological, psychosocial, behavioural, or psychological presentation
- Behaviours of concern as communication
- Understanding unmet needs
- Reducing staff injury and occupational violence
- Moving from reactive behaviour management to proactive, relationship-based support
- The importance of life story, environment, triggers, and meaningful connection
- Equipping managers and frontline teams with practical tools they can take back into their workplaces
Guest Speaker
Tatjana Jokic
Tatjana Jokic brings more than 20 years of experience as a psychologist, workplace rehabilitation specialist, organisational consultant, and leader in psychological health and workplace safety.
As the Managing Director of JK Corporate Resourcing, Tatjana has worked across health, aged care, rehabilitation, workplace injury, mental health, and organisational wellbeing. Her work is deeply practical, helping organisations understand the link between behaviour, environment, psychological safety, staff capability, and client outcomes.
At this event, Tatjana will share insights from the Resident Experience Ambassador Program, a pilot that challenged traditional approaches to behaviour management by focusing on unmet needs, life story, meaningful connection, and proactive support. Her session will give attendees practical ideas they can take back into their own workplaces to better support clients, reduce escalation, and improve safety for both staff and the people they care for.
Why Join Us?
Why this event matters and why you should join us!
When behaviour is better understood, support becomes safer, more person-centred, and more effective.
Through shared discussion and practical perspectives, the session will explore practical takeaways:
- A clearer understanding of dementia and dual diagnosis
- A better way to interpret behaviours of concern.
- An introduction to the unmet needs model.
- Practical prompts for gathering better client/resident information.
- A stronger understanding of how life story impacts behaviour and support.
- Strategies to reduce escalation and improve staff safety.
- Ideas for managers who are dealing with staff injuries linked to behaviours of concern.
- A mindset shift from “managing behaviour” to “understanding and responding to need.”
- Basic skills to take back into workplaces and start changing team conversations.
Our Annual Sponsors
Thank you to all our Annual Sponsors
and Event Vendors!
A sincere thank you to our Annual Premium Sponsors. Building Bridges simply wouldn’t exist without the organisations which choose to invest in knowledge-sharing, connection, and stronger outcomes across our community. Your ongoing support is what makes these events possible and we’re genuinely grateful
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