Minimising Disability And Falls In Older People Through A Post-hospital Individualised Exercise Program.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$536,435.00
Summary
This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of ....This study aims to implement and evaluate the Functional Activities for Better Balance (FABB) program, a tailored exercise program which is designed to minimise disability and falls, among older adults who have recently had a hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial will be undertaken to determine the success of the program in minimising disability and falls and improving balance, muscle strength, and reaction time, quality of life and fear of falling. In addition, predictors of adoption of and adherence to the exercise program and the cost effectiveness of the program will be established. We will recruit 350 older people in the first six months after an in-patient stay in aged care and rehabilitation wards at one of two large teaching hospitals. Participants randomised to the intervention group will be asked to complete an individualised home exercise program three times a week. In addition, they will be offered a choice between receiving monthly physiotherapy home visits or attending exercise classes. These weekly exercise classes will be conducted by physiotherapists and will be made up of 6-8 people. The control group will receive an education booklet about falls prevention and will be given the opportunity to join the program on a self-funding basis after their one-year control period is complete. Post-intervention between-group comparisons will be made using appropriate statistical techniques including regression models. Additional analyses will establish predictors for program adoption and adherence and cost-effectiveness (the incremental cost per fall prevented in the exercise group compared with the control group). This study addresses an increasingly important health care problem in a systematic manner and thus has the potential to substantially enhance the health of older people in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Organizational Change And Treatment Of Depression And Dementia In Aged Care Facilities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,052.00
Summary
Mental health disorders are common in aged care settings. However, these problems are not well managed. This situation results in distress for residents and family members, as well as high levels of burnout and turnover among staff. This project will address the organizational barriers with the aim of better managing and treating depression and behavioural problems associated with dementia.
Telehealth In Residential Aged Care Facilities: Improving Access To Specialist Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$972,606.00
Summary
People in long term residential care have complex and chronic care issues. The staff may be able to provide more focused care if they have the support of specialists for advice on the care of residents. This project considers the value of a geriatric specialist assessment for all new residents via video conferencing, directly to the residential care facility. This will be supplemented by access to a wide range of other specialists coordinated through a telehealth service model on an "as needs" b ....People in long term residential care have complex and chronic care issues. The staff may be able to provide more focused care if they have the support of specialists for advice on the care of residents. This project considers the value of a geriatric specialist assessment for all new residents via video conferencing, directly to the residential care facility. This will be supplemented by access to a wide range of other specialists coordinated through a telehealth service model on an "as needs" basis.Read moreRead less
Building On Our Strengths (BOOSt): Developing And Evaluating Birthing On Country Primary Maternity Units
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,090,701.00
Summary
Optimal healthcare during the year before and after birth can provide benefits for a lifetime. Our project will deliver this optimal care by implementing and evaluating Birthing on Country Service Delivery Models in urban, regional and remote sites. Birthing on Country combines Indigenous knowledge and governance, culturally safe care, continuity of midwifery carer, birth in an Indigenous birth centre and development of the Indigenous maternal and infant workforce.
Partnership Centre: Dealing With Cognitive And Related Functional Decline In Older People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$12,500,000.00
Summary
The focus of this Partnership Centre is how to better apply our existing knowledge and how to create new knowledge that will directly improve support to those elderly suffering from cognitive decline, their carer’s (formal and informal) and the various agencies delivering services for them. This Partnership Centre’s Investigator Team will engage in a range of activities to improve aged care service planning (including continuity of care and risk assessments of community care); develop and implem ....The focus of this Partnership Centre is how to better apply our existing knowledge and how to create new knowledge that will directly improve support to those elderly suffering from cognitive decline, their carer’s (formal and informal) and the various agencies delivering services for them. This Partnership Centre’s Investigator Team will engage in a range of activities to improve aged care service planning (including continuity of care and risk assessments of community care); develop and implement new approaches to support informal carer’s; reduce stigma around cognitive decline in both the health care and community context; improve the size and quality of the aged care workforce; assist with decision making, rights, citizenship and related ethics through education; improve aged care regulation; promote responsible medication management; develop and disseminate up-to-date clinical guidelines; and implement proven models of care.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.
Improving Outcomes For Patients Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy Through A Shared Care Pathway Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,887.00
Summary
Many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment continue to experience serious side effects at home, where they struggle to self-manage and often go to hospital after symptoms have worsened. We have developed an innovative clinical pathway involving the provision of home-based assessment, clinical care and advice by community nurses, which aims to help patients without creating new health service positions. Our study will test if the pathway decreases unplanned hospital visits, improves pa ....Many cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment continue to experience serious side effects at home, where they struggle to self-manage and often go to hospital after symptoms have worsened. We have developed an innovative clinical pathway involving the provision of home-based assessment, clinical care and advice by community nurses, which aims to help patients without creating new health service positions. Our study will test if the pathway decreases unplanned hospital visits, improves patient well-being and is cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Re-EValuating The Inhibition Of Stress Erosions (REVISE): Gastrointestinal Bleeding Prophylaxis In ICU
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,955,164.00
Summary
Around 50,000 patients in Australian Intensive Care Units receive a drug called pantoprazole each year with the aim of preventing bleeding from the gut. Recent research suggests this practice is ineffective and may harm patients by increasing their risk of serious infections. We will perform a definitive study to determine whether the widespread use of pantoprazole is beneficial or harmful.
Establishing Pathways To Implement And Sustain Evidence Based Fall Prevention In Primary Care: The ISOLVE Project
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,156,546.00
Summary
Researchers in allied health and primary care are partnering with Northern Sydney Medicare Local and the NSW State Falls Program (Clinical Excellence Commission) to establish a multi-disciplinary pathway model for fall prevention. The aim is to establish integrated processes and pathways at the levels of practitioner, practice, and program to identify older people at risk of falls and engage a whole of primary care approach to fall prevention. This project will employ multi-methodologies.
A Telehealth Mediated Nursing Intervention (PRISMS) To Enable Patient Monitoring And Self-care In Haematological Cancer Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$936,632.00
Summary
People with cancer are required to monitor and to initiate self care activities to manage side effects at home. In haematological cancer patients these side effects are often severe and life-threatening. Safe home care requires close communication with the health team. We will test if a mobile phone based system can: support patients to monitor their side effects; promote the delivery of evidence based self care advice in a timely manner; and mediate the role of nurses to effectively provide rea ....People with cancer are required to monitor and to initiate self care activities to manage side effects at home. In haematological cancer patients these side effects are often severe and life-threatening. Safe home care requires close communication with the health team. We will test if a mobile phone based system can: support patients to monitor their side effects; promote the delivery of evidence based self care advice in a timely manner; and mediate the role of nurses to effectively provide real-time patient support.Read moreRead less