Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies f ....Age Matters: Barriers and solutions to employment of older adults. With an ageing Australian population, research is needed to identify barriers that prevent older people being employed in the workforce. This project aims to identify whether employers use different standards when assessing the employability of younger and older workers and to develop strategies to overcome the use of different standards. This project will provide innovative ways for employers to implement successful strategies for promoting equal opportunity for older workers. Furthermore, this knowledge will assist policy makers and employment agencies. Finding ways to overcome barriers to older adult recruitment is of major significance for Australia's future economy and social well-being.Read moreRead less
New Partnerships: Promoting development in outback towns through voluntary programs for Grey Nomads. Older retired Australians who undertake extensive independent travel through outback regions of Australia may potentially bring economic, human and social capital to areas of extreme isolation and disadvantage by engaging in volunteer programs of short to medium duration. Such programs would enable the sharing of information, and skills between locals and visitors and enable the development of lo ....New Partnerships: Promoting development in outback towns through voluntary programs for Grey Nomads. Older retired Australians who undertake extensive independent travel through outback regions of Australia may potentially bring economic, human and social capital to areas of extreme isolation and disadvantage by engaging in volunteer programs of short to medium duration. Such programs would enable the sharing of information, and skills between locals and visitors and enable the development of local facilities and services. Engagement in such programs may also potentially enhance the grey nomad experience, contributing to a healthy productive ageing lifestyle. Read moreRead less
The dynamics of spousal relationships in very late life: transitions, psychological health and longevity. This research will provide a rare insight into the dynamics of very-long term successful marriages. It will also provide an understanding of the dyad in ageing well. In a society where a large percentage of marriages end in divorce, this work has the potential to identify individual differences factors that are conducive to sustaining the marital relationship. In addition, an examination o ....The dynamics of spousal relationships in very late life: transitions, psychological health and longevity. This research will provide a rare insight into the dynamics of very-long term successful marriages. It will also provide an understanding of the dyad in ageing well. In a society where a large percentage of marriages end in divorce, this work has the potential to identify individual differences factors that are conducive to sustaining the marital relationship. In addition, an examination of how couples from different socio-economic backgrounds navigate later life in their own homes or during key late life transitions will also be beneficial for those individuals or policy makers planning for these transitions.Read moreRead less
The 1-in-4 Poll: Inclusion of people with a disability and carers in social and political deliberative processes. This proposed project will benefit Australia by developing a method that includes ongoing quarterly topical surveys through which people with a disability and their carers, approximately one in four Australians, can effectively participate in social and political processes. It will also test the efficacy of 'influencing activities' that derive from those surveys. Additionally, the pr ....The 1-in-4 Poll: Inclusion of people with a disability and carers in social and political deliberative processes. This proposed project will benefit Australia by developing a method that includes ongoing quarterly topical surveys through which people with a disability and their carers, approximately one in four Australians, can effectively participate in social and political processes. It will also test the efficacy of 'influencing activities' that derive from those surveys. Additionally, the project will establish a data set that will provide regular and reliable information from and about people with a disability in Australia. This is a unique and much needed contribution to social justice within Australia. Read moreRead less
Classifying support needs of people with disabilities. The aim of this research is to develop a valid and reliable assessment and classification system of the support needs of people with diverse disabilities. Current methods are found wanting due to neglect of the complex interactions between health condition, activity and context and inability to account for type and intensities of supports needed. The development of a robust system which can be used to assess and classify the support needs of ....Classifying support needs of people with disabilities. The aim of this research is to develop a valid and reliable assessment and classification system of the support needs of people with diverse disabilities. Current methods are found wanting due to neglect of the complex interactions between health condition, activity and context and inability to account for type and intensities of supports needed. The development of a robust system which can be used to assess and classify the support needs of people with a wide range of disabilities and across settings will enable human service agencies to be responsive and tailor their services to individual needs.Read moreRead less
Caring for carers: An enrichment orientation. The key aim of this research is to enhance the sustainability of providing care to another individual in a rural location, in the domains of aged care, disability and mental health. The rationale for this research is that although substantial financial resources are allocated to support services for carers, there exists no evidence that such resource allocation is optimally efficient and effective. We will develop a systematic analytical tool to accu ....Caring for carers: An enrichment orientation. The key aim of this research is to enhance the sustainability of providing care to another individual in a rural location, in the domains of aged care, disability and mental health. The rationale for this research is that although substantial financial resources are allocated to support services for carers, there exists no evidence that such resource allocation is optimally efficient and effective. We will develop a systematic analytical tool to accurately determine the physical, social and psychological needs of carers. The outcome of this project will be an improvement in the health and well-being of carers.Read moreRead less