Improving aged care with memory conversations. This project aims to investigate conversational techniques known as "elaborative reminiscing" as a tool for aged care staff to practice relationship-based care in their day-to-day interactions with older clients. The project expects to generate new knowledge about which specific techniques increase reminiscing during routine care, and how these tools have ongoing benefits for aged care clients. Expected outcomes include an evidence-based training pr ....Improving aged care with memory conversations. This project aims to investigate conversational techniques known as "elaborative reminiscing" as a tool for aged care staff to practice relationship-based care in their day-to-day interactions with older clients. The project expects to generate new knowledge about which specific techniques increase reminiscing during routine care, and how these tools have ongoing benefits for aged care clients. Expected outcomes include an evidence-based training program and improved understanding of facilitators and barriers to meeting aged care clients' social needs. This should provide significant benefits by improving wellbeing of clients in aged care, reducing hospitalisations, and enabling aged care providers to meet new industry standards.Read moreRead less
Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into impo ....Drivers of ageing and adaptive ageing in middle-aged and older adults. This project aims to answer crucial questions about how our early years influence our health and wellbeing in middle and later life. Drawing on one of Australia’s longest running studies of social and emotional development, we link decades of developmental data collected since 1983 to social, emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing in participants turning 40 (midlife) and 70 (later life). It will provide insight into important and largely unanswered questions about the way social factors in the first half of life shape our later selves. This study will inform government and health policy targeting ageing populations.
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Novel tractography-guided MRI methods for studying healthy brain ageing. Advances in imaging, and particularly Magnetic Resonance Imaging, have opened a new era in the study of the brain enabling a myriad of neuroscience discoveries. This project aims to develop new analysis methods to study and understand the variability in the human brain during ageing, exploiting the wealth of information contained in the so-called tractogram, a mapping of the brain’s wiring. This project expects to develop i ....Novel tractography-guided MRI methods for studying healthy brain ageing. Advances in imaging, and particularly Magnetic Resonance Imaging, have opened a new era in the study of the brain enabling a myriad of neuroscience discoveries. This project aims to develop new analysis methods to study and understand the variability in the human brain during ageing, exploiting the wealth of information contained in the so-called tractogram, a mapping of the brain’s wiring. This project expects to develop innovative imaging biomarkers to characterise the brain changes in the course of healthy brain ageing. Expected outcomes include novel imaging tools for neuroscience, which should allow us to map trajectories of normative healthy brain ageing and use them to identify lifestyle factors that impact these trajectories.Read moreRead less
Ageing, trust, and financial exploitation: social, emotional and cognitive mechanisms. This project aims to understand how age-related differences in the processing of social and emotional information contribute to the exploitation of older adults' trust. This research will examine deception detection during financial negotiations and provide new strategies for ensuring the financial independence and well-being of older Australians.
Non-intrusive human activity sensing with radio signals. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework for sensing and detecting human activities based on wireless radio signals. The framework advances the state-of-the-art by discovering the fundamental theory, and defining a set of principles to guide practical system design. The framework will be validated and its scientific merit demonstrated through building several applications such as contactless human activity detection and vital s ....Non-intrusive human activity sensing with radio signals. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework for sensing and detecting human activities based on wireless radio signals. The framework advances the state-of-the-art by discovering the fundamental theory, and defining a set of principles to guide practical system design. The framework will be validated and its scientific merit demonstrated through building several applications such as contactless human activity detection and vital signs monitoring. This should benefit existing hospital and clinical patient services and promote home-care and self-care services at nationwide.Read moreRead less
Language typology and cognitive effects of language learning. This project aims to map, in older adults and preschool-age children, the extent and nature of cognitive benefit from training in a foreign language. Learning a language is recognised to be beneficial in various ways, but this project investigates whether it matters which language one learns. The project will compare the resulting cognitive changes to language learners across different languages to test whether the benefit is uniquely ....Language typology and cognitive effects of language learning. This project aims to map, in older adults and preschool-age children, the extent and nature of cognitive benefit from training in a foreign language. Learning a language is recognised to be beneficial in various ways, but this project investigates whether it matters which language one learns. The project will compare the resulting cognitive changes to language learners across different languages to test whether the benefit is uniquely effective. It will also gauge whether these changes occur when learning is easier in childhood compared to when it is harder later in life. The project findings will inform the development of linguistic, social, and educational programs to optimise cognitive function both for childhood development and healthy ageing, especially in Australia where second language acquisition is lower compared to other countries.Read moreRead less
Dementia, moral agency and identity. The project aims to examine the ethical issues raised by dementia and the care of those with the condition. The project will examine and evaluate the capacities those with dementia retain for social agency, valuing and relationships. The project will test and refine theories of agency, identity and vulnerability in the light of the cognitive deficits accompanying dementia. The project will lead to the delivery of more efficient healthcare through the developm ....Dementia, moral agency and identity. The project aims to examine the ethical issues raised by dementia and the care of those with the condition. The project will examine and evaluate the capacities those with dementia retain for social agency, valuing and relationships. The project will test and refine theories of agency, identity and vulnerability in the light of the cognitive deficits accompanying dementia. The project will lead to the delivery of more efficient healthcare through the development of increased understandings of the relevant ethical considerations for treatment, and recommendations for new and ethical approaches to policy on dementia. It brings benefits to the well-being and relationships of those with this condition, their families and friends, and the professionals who care for them.Read moreRead less
A new quality of life instrument with older people for economic evaluation. This project aims to develop and validate a new preference-based quality-of-life instrument with applications in aged-care. The new instrument will be developed with older people receiving aged care services, and will focus upon incorporating their values into the measurement and valuation of quality of life for economic evaluation. The new instrument will have immediate applications in quality assessment and economic ev ....A new quality of life instrument with older people for economic evaluation. This project aims to develop and validate a new preference-based quality-of-life instrument with applications in aged-care. The new instrument will be developed with older people receiving aged care services, and will focus upon incorporating their values into the measurement and valuation of quality of life for economic evaluation. The new instrument will have immediate applications in quality assessment and economic evaluation, improving the quality of life and wellbeing of older Australians, and will assist in determining the relative cost effectiveness of new and existing services.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100396
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,000.00
Summary
What are the active ingredients of successful shared remembering? Older couples remember more together than apart, but little is known about mechanisms underlying such collaborative benefits. Collaborative remembering may have therapeutic value in age-related cognitive decline and dementia, providing cost-effective, readily-available memory support. However there are several 'active ingredients' that may underlie collaborative benefits and not all of these will be equally effective or translatab ....What are the active ingredients of successful shared remembering? Older couples remember more together than apart, but little is known about mechanisms underlying such collaborative benefits. Collaborative remembering may have therapeutic value in age-related cognitive decline and dementia, providing cost-effective, readily-available memory support. However there are several 'active ingredients' that may underlie collaborative benefits and not all of these will be equally effective or translatable into therapy. This project aims to identify and evaluate these active ingredients, teasing apart 'what', 'who' and 'how'. Testing younger and older couples, healthy and in early stages of decline, this project aims to generate new knowledge and provide a basis for future therapies utilising collaborative remembering.Read moreRead less
Smart Glasses: activity recognition for cognitive aid. The project aims to develop an automatic activity recognition system for cognitive aid of dementia and stroke victims. The ‘Smart Glasses’ system will be based on sensors embedded in glasses and machine learning techniques to automatically detect the activity being performed by a patient, and provide feedback. Sufferers will regain independence and autonomy by improving safety awareness around the home; carers will be provided real-time info ....Smart Glasses: activity recognition for cognitive aid. The project aims to develop an automatic activity recognition system for cognitive aid of dementia and stroke victims. The ‘Smart Glasses’ system will be based on sensors embedded in glasses and machine learning techniques to automatically detect the activity being performed by a patient, and provide feedback. Sufferers will regain independence and autonomy by improving safety awareness around the home; carers will be provided real-time information of patient safety status or adverse events; rehabilitation professionals will be able to use feedback to refine a patient’s program and maximise quality and safety of ambulatory rehabilitation care; and patients will improve rehabilitation outcomes through tailored treatment.Read moreRead less