Research into ageing in rural communities
Third Edition SEPTEMBER 2019
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Greetings from the John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research! This third edition of our newsletter is packed full of highlights from our research impact nationally and globally.
Associate Professor Suzanne Hodgkin was invited as an expert witness at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to share her informal care research. Professor John Pollaers OAM, former chair of Commonwealth Aged Care Workforce Taskforce, delivered the 2019 John Richards Centre Oration.
JRC research is in high demand. JRC PhD Student Diana Nabbumba completed data collection in Uganda. Dr Rachel Winterton co-edited a book with collaborators from Canada and Ireland. I travelled to China, Japan and India to share our work and strengthen partnership and commitment towards La Trobe University’s internationalisation. We had a successful professional development led by Assistant Professor Sonia Udod from the University of Manitoba, Canada in partnership with Albury-Wodonga Health.
Come and join us at our Seniors Week Wodonga in partnership with University of Third Age (U3A) on 11 October. As always, we welcome feedback for future research and collaboration.
Staff News
Associate Professor Suzanne Hodgkin along with colleagues Dr Lyn Phillipson and Dr Meredith Gresham, presented evidence to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety on the 30, July 2019. They were called to provide an expert panel on the experiences of carers in aged care.
Sue gave evidence on a number of projects she has worked on that highlight the rural needs of community dwelling older people and their carers. In particular Sue highlighted her work on the ARC ASPIRE project, in which she is a Chief Investigator. This work that Sue led, provided a social network analysis of older people and the types of care they receive from family, friends and neighbours.
Dr Rachel Winterton is co-editing a book with international colleagues from Canada (Professor Mark Skinner) and Ireland (Professor Kieran Walsh), titled Rural Gerontology: Towards Critical Perspectives on Rural Ageing. This monograph will include over 30 chapters from leading international scholars on contemporary issues, challenges and opportunities associated with ageing in rural and regional locations, and will be published by Routledge in 2020 as part of their Rural Policy and Planning series.
Professor Irene Blackberry and Dr George Mnatzaganian received a travel grant from China Studies Research Centre to support an academic exchange visit to China. They were invited by Professor Yu Kang, the Director of Department of Health Medicine and Department of Clinical Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) in Beijing to deliver lectures to hospital staff as part of their medical education. They plan to discuss collaborative research focusing on older people and chronic diseases. PUMCH is the highest-ranking hospital in China.
Irene and George will then go to Kunming Hospital, for research collaboration with their Masters student, Mr Fan He.
Student News
From left: Edith Kazimba, Area Manager, ROTOM Uganda, Diana Nabbumba, JRC PhD student, and Kenneth Mugayehwenkyi, Founder and Executive Director ROTOM.
Diana Nabbumba, PhD student, has recently visited Uganda for data collection. Diana is pictured with members of Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM). ROTOM is a Non-Profit Organisation and Christian ministry supporting older people and the children under their care in a rural areas of Mukono District.
RECENT EVENTS
2019 John Richards Centre Oration
Beyond the Royal Commission - An aged care workforce for the future
Professor John Pollaers (OAM) delivered an engaging oration on the future of the Aged Care Workforce to approximately 80 people on August 14th. He discussed the implications of several findings contained in the report: A Matter of Care including key issues on Engagement and Enablement of the workforce. A/Professor Sue Hodgkin then led a panel discussion on the future of the rural workforce. Panel members together with John were Denise Parry, CEO Tallangatta Health, Robin Harvey, Lecturer in Gerontology at Charles Sturt University and Mary Fraser OAM, community member.
Professor John Pollaers OAM was former Chair of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce for the Federal Government. He is the Chancellor of Swinburne University and is Executive Chairman of Leef Independent Living Solutions, an innovative functional health and assistive technology business with 14 Independent Living Centre’s nationwide including Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla.
Nursing Leadership and Patient Outcomes:
Current and Future States
La Trobe University, together with Albury Wodonga Health held a Professional Development workshop with Assistant Professor Sonia Udod of the University of Manitoba, Canada.
A/Prof Udod is Principal Investigator of the Creating and Translating Evidence for Nursing LEADership (LEAD) and Health Services program (https://leadoutcomes.ca/). The program aims to advance healthcare leadership, nurses’ work environments, health systems, and healthcare policy.
This event was relevant for nurses, midwives, allied health and other healthcare professionals seeking improvement in leadership practices and health services through translating research knowledge.
Current Projects
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF MULTICULTURAL FEMALE CAREGIVERS IN AUSTRALIA'S AGED CARE WORKFORCE INDUSTRY
The female Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) workforce plays a critical role in caring for consumers of aged care services. This project will explore the recruitment and retention of the female CALD aged care workforce. Participants will be invited to complete an online survey about their employment experiences and social resilience, as well as have the opportunity to participate in an interview. Through the experiences of CALD female aged care workers, this project aims to inform the development of a culturally responsive aged care workforce and create a sustainable caregiving industry.
BUILDING AN INDIGO AGE-FRIENDLY HEALTH SYSTEM MODEL
To address the considerable challenge facing health services to provide an effective, safe, quality care to older people that enhances their quality of life.
When implemented, the Indigo Age-Friendly Health Systems Model will provide a whole-of-system focus to reduce the risk of unnecessary, harmful and expensive variation in care of older people at all points of care—acute hospitals, ambulatory care, residential aged care, primary care, community services—without increasing hospital costs or clinical burden.
THERAPEUTIC DANCING FOR FRAIL OLDER PEOPLE IN RESIDENTIAL CARE
Evidence shows benefits derived from exercise and physical activities for mobility, falls reduction and wellbeing. However uptake and implementation in residential aged care settings, can be challenging. Music-cued therapeutic dancing has previously been shown to facilitate movement, balance, creative expression, wellbeing and social interaction. This project investigates the benefits, challenges and facilitators to implementing a music-cued therapeutic dancing intervention for frail older people who live in residential care.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE
October 11, 2019 - La Trobe University.
Collaboration Session: John Richards Centre and U3A
Please come along and meet La Trobe University researchers. Hear how you can get involved in research and other life long learning opportunities.This is part of Wodonga's Senior Celebrations Festival.
TIME
9.30am - 12.00noon
VENUE
Library conference Room
La Trobe University
133 McKoy Street, Wodonga
RSVP
4 October 2019
CONTACT INFORMATION
T: 02 6024 9718
E: jrc@latrobe.edu.au
Recent Publications
Hancock, S., Winterton, R., Wilding, C., & Blackberry, I.
Understanding ageing well in Australian rural and regional settings: Applying an age‐friendly lens.
Gomaa, Y. S., Slade, S. C., Tamplin, J., Wittwer, J. E., Gray, R., Blackberry, I. & Morris, M. E.
Therapeutic Dancing for Frail Older People in Residential Aged Care: A Thermatic Analysis of Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation.
Savy, P., Hodgkin, S., Long, K., Melis, R., Lewis, V., Furler, J., Kwang, L. Dow, B. & Blackberry, I.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment programs: possibilities, realities and outcomes: Evaluation Journal of Australasia.
2018 Annual Report
Be involved in our research
Do you have any ideas or suggestions for research? Please contact us.
Phone: (02) 6024 9718
Email: jrc@latrobe.edu.au
READ MORE ABOUT JOHN RICHARDS CENTRE FOR RURAL AGEING RESEARCH >
