Safety and resiliency at home: voices of children who live with fear. Finding out what can help children feel safer who are currently living in households where there is family violence will enable early intervention for better outcomes for such children. This research is significant because it will focus on targeting appropriate responses by listening to the views of children themselves and hence finding out what is really helpful for them to build resiliency. This is important to the work of a ....Safety and resiliency at home: voices of children who live with fear. Finding out what can help children feel safer who are currently living in households where there is family violence will enable early intervention for better outcomes for such children. This research is significant because it will focus on targeting appropriate responses by listening to the views of children themselves and hence finding out what is really helpful for them to build resiliency. This is important to the work of a key family welfare agency (Berry St) but it also has benefit for health and welfare workers throughout Australia. Appropriate early intervention will not only help the families concerned but will strengthen Australia's economic and social fabric, a priority goal of the national research agenda.Read moreRead less
Developing nurses' work as a learning practice. Innovative models of clinical experience are required to enhance the professional learning, ongoing development and retention of nursing students and experienced nurses who support their development. This project directly addresses this need through developing and appraising a model of practice-based learning and participation that reciprocally develops both novice and experienced nurses' capacities and identities. The project can potentially infor ....Developing nurses' work as a learning practice. Innovative models of clinical experience are required to enhance the professional learning, ongoing development and retention of nursing students and experienced nurses who support their development. This project directly addresses this need through developing and appraising a model of practice-based learning and participation that reciprocally develops both novice and experienced nurses' capacities and identities. The project can potentially inform the practices within both tertiary and healthcare organizations about an innovative approach to address issues impacting on the national workforce of nursing and provide a significant contribution to enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the nursing practices within healthcare. Read moreRead less
Improving Health and Quality of Life with Improved Nutrition in Residential Care Establishments. Inadequate nutrition is a serious issue in residential care establishments. Poor intake of vitamins and minerals is associated with impaired healing, reduced immune function, and reduction in physical and mental capacity. Lack of food choice and access to suitable nutrient-dense foods all contribute to inadequate energy and protein, leading to weight loss and malnutrition. Our industry partners will ....Improving Health and Quality of Life with Improved Nutrition in Residential Care Establishments. Inadequate nutrition is a serious issue in residential care establishments. Poor intake of vitamins and minerals is associated with impaired healing, reduced immune function, and reduction in physical and mental capacity. Lack of food choice and access to suitable nutrient-dense foods all contribute to inadequate energy and protein, leading to weight loss and malnutrition. Our industry partners will work with us to enhance the nutrient density of suitable foods. We will establish the efficacy of foods and supplements and develop strategies to implement a sustainable nutrition-enhancing program that can be introduced to improve health in residential care establishments throughout Australia.Read moreRead less
Quality and outcomes of individual supported living arrangements for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project identifies service quality aspects contributing to positive outcomes in individual supported living arrangements that enable adults with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes. 150 arrangements will be evaluated across Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, providing evidence of service quality in support of people with disability hav ....Quality and outcomes of individual supported living arrangements for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This project identifies service quality aspects contributing to positive outcomes in individual supported living arrangements that enable adults with developmental disabilities to live in their own homes. 150 arrangements will be evaluated across Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, providing evidence of service quality in support of people with disability having choice and control in their living arrangements.Read moreRead less
Improving patient health outcomes in acute care hospital settings using mobile wireless technology and handheld computers. This project will investigate the use of wireless handheld computers, in three acute care clinical units located at Southern Health and the Royal Women's Hospital, to determine the impact on patient safety and quality of care. There is a need for real time point-of-care access (and input) to patient information, nursing reference information, and drug information for nurses ....Improving patient health outcomes in acute care hospital settings using mobile wireless technology and handheld computers. This project will investigate the use of wireless handheld computers, in three acute care clinical units located at Southern Health and the Royal Women's Hospital, to determine the impact on patient safety and quality of care. There is a need for real time point-of-care access (and input) to patient information, nursing reference information, and drug information for nurses in Australian hospitals. This project aims to address this need by providing nurses with wireless handheld access to such resources. This project is extremely significant, as the outcomes will provide nurses, in Australia and overseas, a set of guidelines for managing wireless handheld computers in clinical units, to enhance patient safety and quality of care.Read moreRead less
Towards Community Aged Care Reform: Design and evaluation of a seamless, flexible service model. The project will develop and test a seamless and flexible community aged care model that is more responsive to consumer needs. To be rolled out by Uniting Care Community Options in its community aged care operations, it is expected that the project will raise consumer satisfaction, service quality, and health outcomes. The project will also explore the potential of pooled funding focusing on its pote ....Towards Community Aged Care Reform: Design and evaluation of a seamless, flexible service model. The project will develop and test a seamless and flexible community aged care model that is more responsive to consumer needs. To be rolled out by Uniting Care Community Options in its community aged care operations, it is expected that the project will raise consumer satisfaction, service quality, and health outcomes. The project will also explore the potential of pooled funding focusing on its potential to resolve major service gaps that result from the complexity of current funding arrangements. Moreover, the project will generate new scientific evidence regarding the viability of consumer-directed community aged care in Australia and establish an ongoing research program.Read moreRead less
Transforming the experiences of ageing: The ABC of building socially inclusive communities. This project addresses the national goal: ageing well, ageing productively. Serious problems with community and residential care services for older Australians are well documented. This project will determine the best way to find out what older people want now and for the future, in terms of housing, supports and services.
To complain or not to complain-That is the question! Does under-representation of rural complaints compromise quality of rural healthcare? Pro-rata, rural residents make fewer formal complaints about health care services than do metropolitan residents. This research investigates the reasons why, and the implications for quality improvement of rural health services. The research will also identify the most appropriate ways of engaging rural consumer participation in monitoring the quality of t ....To complain or not to complain-That is the question! Does under-representation of rural complaints compromise quality of rural healthcare? Pro-rata, rural residents make fewer formal complaints about health care services than do metropolitan residents. This research investigates the reasons why, and the implications for quality improvement of rural health services. The research will also identify the most appropriate ways of engaging rural consumer participation in monitoring the quality of their health services. Based on improved indicators, the Health Services Commission and health providers will have access to a better evidence base for maximising the quality of health care and services available in rural areas.Read moreRead less
Accommodating the Needs of People with Lifelong Intellectual Disability in Residential Aged Care. Unique challenges face the residential aged care system because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability 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, thus p ....Accommodating the Needs of People with Lifelong Intellectual Disability in Residential Aged Care. Unique challenges face the residential aged care system because of the increased life expectancy of people with life-long intellectual disability 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, thus program development is in its early stages. This research will inform the development of policy and programs in the Aged Care, Disability and Health sectors with the aim of improving the quality of life for people with intellectual disability as they age.Read moreRead less
My place for life: comparison of models of care and housing for older people. This project addresses the national goal: ageing well, ageing productively. Existing Australian housing and community services will be inadequate for the future, but the evidence base for policy development is absent. This project will conduct the first comparative Australian study on outcomes for older people over time in a range of existing housing models.