ELders AT Ease Program (ELATE): A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Sustainable And Scalable Mental Health Service For Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$999,551.00
Summary
Elders living in residential facilities suffer significant levels of depression or anxiety. This study examines an innovative program to improve mental health of residents living in such facilities. The program involves counselling, staff training and family support. The study uses a cluster randomised controlled trial of facilities to evaluate the impact of ELATE: Elders at Ease Program” on residents’ psychological wellbeing, staff knowledge, family carer stress and, health care costs.
Evidence Based Targeting Of Statewide Strategies For Preventing Falls Among Community Dwelling Older People In Victoria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,724.00
Summary
Falls are a significant threat to the safety, health and independence of our older citizens. The aim of this project is to enable a more effective policy response to the falls prevention challenge in Victoria. The proposed research is designed to under-pin a re-orientation and evaluation of the Department of Human Services’ falls prevention program by facilitating improved targeting of effective interventions, taking older peoples’ preferences into account and working with community agencies
What Can Tau Deposition Tell Us About The Appearance Of Subjective And Objective Cognitive Decline In Older Adults?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,077.00
Summary
Subjective memory concerns are common in older adults, but it is uncertain how they relate to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. Novel neuroimaging techniques have been developed for measuring tau deposition, a hallmark feature of AD. Using this technique, I aim to determine whether tau is sensitive to certain types of subjective concerns. My findings will reveal which concerns are indicative of AD risk, and which arise from unrelated factors, such as inattention or stress.
Emerging from the shadows: the evaluation of intervention strategies to reduce social isolation amongst the aged. Social isolation imposes a high cost on affected individuals and the community at large. This project will determine what interventions work in addressing social isolation amongst the older population.
Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in ....Revisiting the 'Fourth Age': health, socioeconomic and cultural transformation of, and diversity in, Australia's oldest old population, 1981-2011. The oldest-old (those aged 85 years and over) is the fastest growing segment of the Australian population, and the changing make-up and experiences of this group needs attention. This project will expand our knowledge base about Australia's oldest old, helping to inform public policy and to improve discussions on what the 'Fourth Age' really means in Australia.Read moreRead less
Meeting the needs of older persons in Indonesia. The project aims to identify the needs of older people in rural Indonesia for income, housing, health, daily care and social interaction and the extent to which their needs are met. It also considers the efficacy of existing policy programs and how these might be improved. Today, there are 22 million Indonesians aged 60 years and over, projected to rise to 48 million by 2035. Millions of older people live in rural areas from which younger people h ....Meeting the needs of older persons in Indonesia. The project aims to identify the needs of older people in rural Indonesia for income, housing, health, daily care and social interaction and the extent to which their needs are met. It also considers the efficacy of existing policy programs and how these might be improved. Today, there are 22 million Indonesians aged 60 years and over, projected to rise to 48 million by 2035. Millions of older people live in rural areas from which younger people have moved to the rapidly growing cities. This presents challenges for the traditional family-based aged care system in Indonesia. It is expected that findings from the study will be published in a series of policy papers to be presented in the Indonesian National Development Planning Board.Read moreRead less
Ageing Bodies, Embodied Interactions and Social Inclusion. This project aims to design and investigate innovative technologies to establish meaningful social connections between older people who are constrained by limited mobility. Older adults who participate in social activities benefit from enhanced wellbeing, but social groups are often inaccessible for those in advanced old age, especially if living in rural areas. Emerging technologies, such as depth cameras and body tracking, can be used ....Ageing Bodies, Embodied Interactions and Social Inclusion. This project aims to design and investigate innovative technologies to establish meaningful social connections between older people who are constrained by limited mobility. Older adults who participate in social activities benefit from enhanced wellbeing, but social groups are often inaccessible for those in advanced old age, especially if living in rural areas. Emerging technologies, such as depth cameras and body tracking, can be used to augment limited bodily movement via avatars. These can be represented in virtual communities to foster social inclusion. The expected outcome of this project is a new technology that uses whole-body interactions and representational avatars to improve social inclusion for older adults in rural and urban settings.Read moreRead less
Markets, migration and the work of care in Australia. The objective of this project is to strengthen the conceptual foundations for social policy in the critical domains of aged care and child care. Projected child care and aged care labour shortages and shifts in government policy towards consumer-directed provision, including in-home care, have intensified calls for increased care migration in Australia. Yet the links between care markets and migration, and their consequences for the provision ....Markets, migration and the work of care in Australia. The objective of this project is to strengthen the conceptual foundations for social policy in the critical domains of aged care and child care. Projected child care and aged care labour shortages and shifts in government policy towards consumer-directed provision, including in-home care, have intensified calls for increased care migration in Australia. Yet the links between care markets and migration, and their consequences for the provision of care and the care workforce are poorly understood in the Australian context. The project aims to explain the links between care policies, employment regulation and migration in cross-national perspective, generating new analytical insights and strengthening the evidence base for policy.Read moreRead less
Job quality and care quality in aged care. The project aims to investigate how job quality and the quality of care are linked in residential and community-based aged care services. Population ageing and fewer informal carers place pressure on aged care provision across the OECD There is little understanding, at either the policy or workplace levels, of how the quality of aged care jobs affects the viability and quality of that provision. The project expects to improve knowledge about how job qua ....Job quality and care quality in aged care. The project aims to investigate how job quality and the quality of care are linked in residential and community-based aged care services. Population ageing and fewer informal carers place pressure on aged care provision across the OECD There is little understanding, at either the policy or workplace levels, of how the quality of aged care jobs affects the viability and quality of that provision. The project expects to improve knowledge about how job quality affects aged care quality; and identify care markets, policy regimes and work organisation that best support sustainable quality aged care.Read moreRead less
The relationship between rural living and wellness: what services and supports do older people need? Population ageing is having a significant impact in rural Australia, increasing the demand for community and health services. This project builds on international research to explore how best to meet the diverse needs of older people living in Australia’s rural communities.