Transcript
[Beginning of recorded material]
[Title card animation: Dementia Australia Research Foundation - Care]
[Associate Professor Anita Goh, National Ageing Research Institute]
Anita: I am Dr Anita Goh. I am a clinical neuropsychologist and senior research fellow at the National Ageing Research Institute, and an honorary researcher at the University of Melbourne. My research is about closing the gap between research and practice, and closing the 17-year gap that we know that it takes between research being developed and tested, to it being actually used in clinical practice. My fellowship brings together the theories and principles of behavioural science, implementation science, research, co-design, change management principles, and organisational theory in a really innovative way to improve dementia care.
[Text: Anne Fairhall, Dementia Advocate, family carer and research consultant]
Anne: Being in aged care is actually quite traumatic for the person with dementia, but it's also quite traumatic for the people who love them and care for them, your loved ones. You feel as though you've let them down, and yet, when you put them into aged care, especially 12 years ago, there wasn't very good care for those with dementia. There's a lot better care now, mostly, but there are lots of times where it's not terribly good.
Anita: This fellowship will allow me the time and the focus to look at what's being used nationally and internationally in terms of how we get dementia interventions or program used, what has worked and what hasn't worked.
This fellowship also connects me with the right people to interrogate a dementia intervention that's been used in Australia, so within our age care sector, with our age care staff, and with our dementia community. So, really looking at the ingredients of what worked in that intervention and why it didn't.
After that, I'll use that evidence and also complete a change management certification course to inform the development of a dementia change assessment tool. So, this tool will be designed with the aim of having guided conversations, so everyone can have the same language to communicate effectively, and ask things like, “what is your organisation's readiness to change? What are your culture, your strategies, your values that might affect how we roll out this program?”
The last stage that I'm really excited about is the co-design stage. So, this stage is where I hope to get everyone together involved in providing and receiving care – so the aged care sector, the research community, and very importantly, the dementia community, to find out what we can put in these guidelines so dementia interventions can be rolled out, at scale, properly, and ultimately, improve dementia care.
[Text: Dr John Roth and Cathy Roth OAM, Dementia Advocates and research team members]
Cathy: Hi, I am Cathy Roth, and I'm chairman of an organisation called PALS, Professionals with Alzheimer's. I'm also the proud wife of my husband, John, who was a surgeon, but is now living with Alzheimer's disease, and has done so for the last 10 years. Anita's research will provide an opportunity to analyse the research that's out there, and to be able to pull forward practical and applicable components within that research. It will become so easy to identify the specific action items that can be taken, can be put into a proforma, and then provided as a resource document for facilities to be able to implement.
Anne: I've worked with Anita now over quite a few projects, and her research now is really important. I do believe and support wholeheartedly her co-design, where the researchers are working with those like myself with lived experience.
Anita: This funding from the Bartles and the Dementia Australia Research Foundation is really important to me because I really believe that all older Australians deserve the highest level of care and services. If I can make a difference in that and make a positive impact on the lives of others with my work, then that, to me, is meaningful and successful.
[Title card]
This research is supported by:
Dr Stuart and Bonnie Bartle Mid-Career Research Fellowship
Dementia Australia Research Foundation
The National Ageing Research Institute
Dr Goh would like to acknowledge the research team:
Professor Briony Dow, Professor Jillian Francis, Cathy Roth OAM, and Ellen Gaffy.
We thank the Bartle Pathway to Care for its support.
[End title card]
[Title card]
Dementia Australia Research Foundation. A cure is just the beginning.
If you would like to see dementia research make real impact, donate today. 1300 636 679.
www.dementia.org.au/donate-research
[End title card]
[END of recorded material]
