Finding meaning in the experience of dementia: The place of spiritual reminiscence work. This project will use spiritual reminiscence work to study the experience of dementia and the spiritual dimension focussing on how people with dementia find meaning and develop coping strategies. Dementia is a significant issue for an ageing society where estimates of prevalence indicate a rise of 254% from 1995-2041. The greatest challenge to people diagnosed with dementia is their search for meaning lead ....Finding meaning in the experience of dementia: The place of spiritual reminiscence work. This project will use spiritual reminiscence work to study the experience of dementia and the spiritual dimension focussing on how people with dementia find meaning and develop coping strategies. Dementia is a significant issue for an ageing society where estimates of prevalence indicate a rise of 254% from 1995-2041. The greatest challenge to people diagnosed with dementia is their search for meaning leading to the development of effective coping strategies as their memory loss and confusion progresses. Outcomes will impact on persons with dementia, staff and carers, with improved quality of life for allRead moreRead less
Development of domain information model for aged & community care in Australia. The aim of this research is to develop a care-oriented reference information and communication model (RIM) that will inform national policy for the development of a national information technology strategic plan for aged care. The model will reflect the domain specific content and work of service providers and consumers in the aged and community care context and the unique cultural, social and professional attributes ....Development of domain information model for aged & community care in Australia. The aim of this research is to develop a care-oriented reference information and communication model (RIM) that will inform national policy for the development of a national information technology strategic plan for aged care. The model will reflect the domain specific content and work of service providers and consumers in the aged and community care context and the unique cultural, social and professional attributes of this sector. The model will be used to evaluate the applicability of the HealthOnline framework, including the relevance of emerging interoperability standards to the aged and community care sector.Read moreRead less
Keeping my place in the community: achieving successful ageing-in-place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project, in partnership with aged care and disability agencies across two states, aims to examine ways the aged care, social and health needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities may be met in rural and urban settings. It will explore mechanisms that will lead to a better integration of the aged care and disability sectors.
Strengthening leadership capacity in Australia's rapidly changing aged and community care sector. The project supports the priorities of: ageing well and promoting an innovative culture and economy and links to the goal of social inclusion. It will contribute significantly towards improved performance and efficiency in an increasingly important sector which contributes to the national economy and provides both care and employment to many Australians. Rapidly increasing demands and challenges r ....Strengthening leadership capacity in Australia's rapidly changing aged and community care sector. The project supports the priorities of: ageing well and promoting an innovative culture and economy and links to the goal of social inclusion. It will contribute significantly towards improved performance and efficiency in an increasingly important sector which contributes to the national economy and provides both care and employment to many Australians. Rapidly increasing demands and challenges require effective, competent leadership to deal with competing tensions, in turn resulting in a more resilient and sustainable industry. This will contribute to more stability, reduced staff turnover and improved outcomes for residents/clients, including through new and innovative workplace culture and practices.Read moreRead less
Emerging from the shadows: the evaluation of intervention strategies to reduce social isolation amongst the aged. Social isolation imposes a high cost on affected individuals and the community at large. This project will determine what interventions work in addressing social isolation amongst the older population.
Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting ....Increasing organisational capacity of community residential units to facilitate ageing in place for people with intellectual disability. Unique challenges face the disability, aged care and health sectors because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability (ID) and the likelihood of their premature ageing. Although this group is recognised by Federal and State governments as requiring specific and special service arrangements, little is known about adapting disability and aged care services to their needs. This research will inform the development of policy and programs in the disability, aged care, and health sectors. The research aims to improve the capacity of disability group homes to respond to the health and ageing issues of older people with ID,to improve their quality of life.Read moreRead less
Ageing Well at Home: Measuring the Impact of Community Care for Older People. The level of care required to maintain people at home varies significantly. Outcomes relate to the individual consumer's needs and require monitoring to ensure actual needs based on thorough assessment are being met. This study refines, tests and applies measures of the outcomes of essential community aged care service packages in a range of settings across New South Wales. The study aims to validate, test and further ....Ageing Well at Home: Measuring the Impact of Community Care for Older People. The level of care required to maintain people at home varies significantly. Outcomes relate to the individual consumer's needs and require monitoring to ensure actual needs based on thorough assessment are being met. This study refines, tests and applies measures of the outcomes of essential community aged care service packages in a range of settings across New South Wales. The study aims to validate, test and further develop a reliable and practical measure for consistent data collection and review of outcomes in care provided to older people in their homes. The determination of consumer outcomes aim to inform and contribute to the provision of community care across Australia and internationally, and facilitate and underpin further research.Read moreRead less
Financing aged care in Australia: Mitigating fiscal gaps and maintaining intergenerational equity. Aged care has been identified as a significant contributor to the growing fiscal problems predicted for Australian government finances during the next 10 to 20 years. This project will develop the cutting-edge modelling tools needed to allow Australia to make informed decisions about possible reforms in aged care financing. It will create significant national benefits by allowing detailed assessmen ....Financing aged care in Australia: Mitigating fiscal gaps and maintaining intergenerational equity. Aged care has been identified as a significant contributor to the growing fiscal problems predicted for Australian government finances during the next 10 to 20 years. This project will develop the cutting-edge modelling tools needed to allow Australia to make informed decisions about possible reforms in aged care financing. It will create significant national benefits by allowing detailed assessment of the distributional impact of a wide range of possible reforms, including how the outcomes of any policy change will affect disadvantaged sections of our society, whether different generations will be fairly treated, and the impact by gender.Read moreRead less
Improving the quality of nursing care and health outcomes for elderly patients during acute hospitalisation. This study aims to compare the perceptions of nurses, elderly patients and their carers in terms of the nursing needs of elderly hospitalised patients'. It will also investigate reasons for any differences found between expectations and reality of care provided. The significance is that the elderly are the largest consumers of health care yet this is the first collaborative Australian ....Improving the quality of nursing care and health outcomes for elderly patients during acute hospitalisation. This study aims to compare the perceptions of nurses, elderly patients and their carers in terms of the nursing needs of elderly hospitalised patients'. It will also investigate reasons for any differences found between expectations and reality of care provided. The significance is that the elderly are the largest consumers of health care yet this is the first collaborative Australian study to investigate the needs of elderly patients. Expected outcomes are an education program for nurses and the development of evidence-based models of nursing care for elderly patients, increased patient satisfaction and health outcomes. Hospitals ultimately benefit in cost-effectiveness and efficiency.Read moreRead less
Achieving a Skilled and Sustainable Aged Care Workforce for Australia. Demand for aged care services in Australia has reached record levels and is set to rise steeply due to population ageing. The Productivity Commission identified the sector’s need to provide more care services, to expand consumer-directed care and to improve the quality of care. Currently, there is little evidence as to how the workforce can expand and change to meet these challenges. This project aims to provide new evidence ....Achieving a Skilled and Sustainable Aged Care Workforce for Australia. Demand for aged care services in Australia has reached record levels and is set to rise steeply due to population ageing. The Productivity Commission identified the sector’s need to provide more care services, to expand consumer-directed care and to improve the quality of care. Currently, there is little evidence as to how the workforce can expand and change to meet these challenges. This project aims to provide new evidence on how to attract, retain and up-skill workers in a rapidly expanding demand environment, as the sector strives to achieve a sustainable and skilled workforce fit for the future needs of older Australians.Read moreRead less