Financial decision making in late adulthood. The project aims to examine links between cognitive changes and financial decision-making in late adulthood and also to assess the preparedness of the elderly to combat financial risks due to age-related cognitive decline. Further, it intends to examine how age, education, wealth, health, and other environmental factors influence transfer of financial decision-making responsibilities to spouses or others. It is expected that the research will provide ....Financial decision making in late adulthood. The project aims to examine links between cognitive changes and financial decision-making in late adulthood and also to assess the preparedness of the elderly to combat financial risks due to age-related cognitive decline. Further, it intends to examine how age, education, wealth, health, and other environmental factors influence transfer of financial decision-making responsibilities to spouses or others. It is expected that the research will provide a greater understanding of how cognitive functioning and other factors affect older adults’ financial capacity and willingness to delegate decision-making responsibilities. This understanding could be used to inform policy initiatives to protect elderly individuals and their family members from the risk of financial mismanagement.Read moreRead less
Sino-Australian neurogenetics initiative. This project will undertake large population studies to identify genes that are associated with motor neuron disease, schizophrenia and intracranial haemorrhage. The project will determine genetic markers, aid development of diagnostic tools and identify new therapeutic targets for these common heritable neurological diseases.
ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research. This Centre intends to generate crucial knowledge to inform social and economic responses to population ageing, one of the most important issues of the 21st century. Population ageing exerts unprecedented pressures on social norms and policy institutions, both in Australia and around the world. Leading researchers from a range of disciplines will undertake multidisciplinary research to help governments, businesses, and consumers prepare for ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research. This Centre intends to generate crucial knowledge to inform social and economic responses to population ageing, one of the most important issues of the 21st century. Population ageing exerts unprecedented pressures on social norms and policy institutions, both in Australia and around the world. Leading researchers from a range of disciplines will undertake multidisciplinary research to help governments, businesses, and consumers prepare for and make better decisions for an ageing world, with consequent social and economic benefits for families and communities expected to flow to Australia, the Asian region and the world.Read moreRead less
The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project: A Longitudinal Intervention Study To Reduce The Risk Of Ageing-related Cognitive Decline And Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$878,792.00
Summary
It has been proposed that engagement in purposeful complex mental stimulation provides protection against dementia. The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project (THBP) is a unique, large-scale prospective trial that examines whether university-level study in older adult population reduces ageing-related cognitive decline and risk of dementia. This project will also examine how an individual’s genetic profile may influence the potential benefits of complex mental stimulation as well as risk of dementia.
Which Mental Activities And When For Dementia Prevention? The Four Nations Longitudinal Collaboration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$183,218.00
Summary
We will examine the link between lifetime participation in complex mental activities and long term dementia risk in a level of detail not previously possible. Four major studies of brain health from around the world will join forces for the first time to determine which mental activities are most closely linked to protection from dementia, and when during the lifespan these are most important. Mental activity will be assessed using our recently published Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire.
Adjustment to retirement through social identity change. This project aims to improve our understanding of the factors governing successful adjustment to retirement. Retirement involves a major life change, to which 30 per cent of people fail to adjust successfully. Previous work in the social identity tradition suggests that the negative effects of significant life changes (eg moving into care) can be buffered by access to social group networks, but this possibility has not been examined in the ....Adjustment to retirement through social identity change. This project aims to improve our understanding of the factors governing successful adjustment to retirement. Retirement involves a major life change, to which 30 per cent of people fail to adjust successfully. Previous work in the social identity tradition suggests that the negative effects of significant life changes (eg moving into care) can be buffered by access to social group networks, but this possibility has not been examined in the context of retirement. This project plans to address this gap through studies that establish the importance of social group factors for successful adjustment among Australian, English, American and Chinese retirees. It also plans to test the efficacy of a new model that seeks to improve adjustment to retirement by incorporating various forms of social planning into preparation for this transition.Read moreRead less
Effectiveness of social skills training for children with autism. Our industry partner, Aspect Australia, is one of the world's largest providers of educational and other services for people with autism. The demonstration of effectiveness of the program in Aspect classes will likely lead to widespread use and benefit of the program in the education sector nationally and internationally. This in turn would lead to potential lessening of disability in children with autism with improvements in thei ....Effectiveness of social skills training for children with autism. Our industry partner, Aspect Australia, is one of the world's largest providers of educational and other services for people with autism. The demonstration of effectiveness of the program in Aspect classes will likely lead to widespread use and benefit of the program in the education sector nationally and internationally. This in turn would lead to potential lessening of disability in children with autism with improvements in their mental health and significant cost savings to the community.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision system ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Vision Science. This Centre will generate important new knowledge of the performance, logic and stability of vision and visual behaviour. This knowledge will help reduce the burden of vision impairment in Australia, increasing productivity, promoting healthy ageing and reducing the community costs of visual impairment (ca. $9.85 billion in 2004). The knowledge produced will also make possible world-class innovations in robotics, leading to novel automated vision systems with applications in industry and national security. Other knowledge will develop novel diagnostic technologies, for application in health delivery.Read moreRead less
Integrating community and family aged care for diverse Australians . This project aims to identify optimal ways to integrate community and family care to support older Australians from diverse cultural backgrounds to age well at home and in their communities. Using an innovative research design, the project seeks to generate new policy and practice relevant knowledge of care networks and expectations of diverse older Australians, their families and service providers to identify new avenues for e ....Integrating community and family aged care for diverse Australians . This project aims to identify optimal ways to integrate community and family care to support older Australians from diverse cultural backgrounds to age well at home and in their communities. Using an innovative research design, the project seeks to generate new policy and practice relevant knowledge of care networks and expectations of diverse older Australians, their families and service providers to identify new avenues for enabling family and community collaboration to meet care needs. Expected outcomes include enhancing Australia’s capacity to provide accessible, tailored and culturally responsive aged care, with significant benefits for improving care experiences for diverse older Australians, their families and service providers.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. New solutions are needed to underpin the Australian social ideal of a fair go, and to drive future global economic productivity. The Australian Productivity Commission identifies deep and persistent disadvantage as a significant problem in Australia given the failure of growing national prosperity over the past two decades to benefit underprivileged Australians. Social disadvantage is a global challenge. This Centre will ad ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. New solutions are needed to underpin the Australian social ideal of a fair go, and to drive future global economic productivity. The Australian Productivity Commission identifies deep and persistent disadvantage as a significant problem in Australia given the failure of growing national prosperity over the past two decades to benefit underprivileged Australians. Social disadvantage is a global challenge. This Centre will advance basic, applied and translational research to reduce intergenerational and long-term disadvantage. Through the maturation of longitudinal datasets and advanced data integration we can follow the journeys of Australian families over generations and across the life course. This data will provide evidence for new policies and make a real difference to the lives of children and families.Read moreRead less