Building research capacity in gerontology : Experiences and lessons form Australia
- Authors: Bartlett, Helen , Carroll, Matthew
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: The Asian gerontologial experience : Capacity building in social gerontology training and translational research in Asia Chapter 4 p. 76-90
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- Description: Over the past decade, increased policy attention on the consequences of demographic ageing in Australia has led to a more focused research agenda on ageing, greater funding opportunities and raised awareness and recognition of gerontology as an important field of study. Research capacity building efforts in ageing have been considerable and have improved collaboration between the policy, research and service sectors, raising expectations of research funding streams and translation of research into policy and practice. The discourse on ageing has also shifted gradually from a deficit model to focus more on healthy, active or productive ageing, indicating a broader multidisciplinary approach and more positive perceptions of ageing. This shift in focus has enabled social gerontology to flourish in Australia, with a number of ageing research centres having social gerontology streams. While much has been achieved over this period, there are ongoing challenges in sustaining the progress made to date and in building research capacity that has longer-term strategic prospects. This paper outlines Australia’s efforts to build research capacity in gerontology over the past decade, examining key successes and future challenges, with consideration of how this experience may be relevant to Asia.
Connected environments for healthy aging
- Authors: Bartlett, Helen , Carroll, Matthew
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Nursing case studies on improving health-related quality of life in older adults Chapter 19 p. 213-222
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- Description: This globally focused resource integrates sound research evidence, real-life case scenarios, and effective, practical strategies to address a key health care initiative of the 21st century: optimal quality of life for older adults. Distinguished by its broad outlook, the book includes contributions from an international cadre of widely published scholars and is designed for easy integration into traditional nursing education curricula. The book explores the experiences of older adults at home, in assisted living, and in nursing home environments, examining their complex and wide-ranging health, spiritual, and emotional needs.
Preventing social isolation in later life : Findings and insights from a pilot Queensland intervention study
- Authors: Bartlett, Helen , Warburton, Jeni , Lui, Chi-wai , Peach, Linda , Carroll, Matthew
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ageing and Society Vol. 33, no. 7 (2013), p. 1167-1189
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- Description: The isolation of older people is recognised as a major social problem in contemporary Western society. While the risk factors and social or health outcomes of isolation and loneliness in later life are well documented, evidence regarding the effectiveness of programmes aimed at reducing social isolation in older people remains inconclusive. This paper reports on the challenges of attempting to undertake a rigorous evaluation of three demonstration pilot projects targeting older people at risk of social isolation, conducted within different social settings in Queensland, Australia. The demonstration projects were part of the Queensland Cross-Government Project to Reduce Social Isolation in Older People (CGPRSIOP) led by the Office for Seniors within the Queensland Department of Communities. In the absence of good evaluation of programmes aimed at social isolation, this government-run programme incorporated validated psychological measures to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. While use of these measures suggested some promising results, the focus of this paper is on the methodological and practical challenges associated with utilising evaluation measures in community-based interventions. The detailed consideration of the methodological issues involved in this programme highlights some key lessons and offers new insights into evaluating interventions for reducing social isolation.
Ageing well across cultures
- Authors: Carroll, Matthew , Bartlett, Helen
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology Chapter 36 p. 285-292
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- Description: The active ageing appoach has become a leading global response to population ageing, having been widely adopted as a policy direction across the European Union (EU) and various national and local governments. This trend has been greatly influenced by the World Health Organization pulication of Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO 2002), which has provided the basis for many national policies. The framework defined active ageing as 'the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age' (WHO 2002: 12). The WHO model conceptualises active ageing broadly as 'continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spriitual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labour force', and highlights the importance of maintaining autonomy and independence (WHO 2002: 12). Both culture and gender are recognised in the WHO model as cross-cutting factors that have a major influence on active ageing. Given that it is over a decade since the release of the WHO Active Ageing Framework, it is timely to consider the impact of this initiative, particularly on how older people from different cultures and groups experience active ageing.
An evaluation of dog-assisted therapy for residents of aged care facilities with dementia
- Authors: Travers, Catherine , Perkins, Jacqueline , Rand, Jacqui , Bartlett, Helen , Morton, John
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Anthrozoös Vol. 26, no. 2 (2013), p. 213-225
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- Description: ABSTRACT Although some research suggests that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities, the intervention has not been adequately investigated. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a randomized controlled trial of dog-assisted therapy versus a human-therapist-only intervention for this population. Fifty-five residents with mild to moderate dementia living in three Australian residential aged care facilities completed an 11-week trial of the interventions. Allocation to the intervention was random and participants completed validated measures of mood, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life (QOL), both prior to and following the intervention. No adverse events were associated with the dog-assisted intervention, and following it participants who had worse baseline depression scores demonstrated significantly improved depression scores relative to participants in the human-therapist-only intervention. Participants in the dog-assisted intervention also showed significant improvements on a measure of QOL in one facility compared with those in the human-therapist-only group (although worse in another facility that had been affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis). This study provides some evidence that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for some residents of aged care facilities with dementia.