Clare Stephenson

What is the focus of the research?

Trialling a personalised, home-based rehabilitation program for people living with dementia.

Why is this important?

Many people living with dementia want to remain independent and continue living at home for as long as possible. Unfortunately, rehabilitation programs that help people regain or maintain the skills needed for daily life are often hard to access.

Dementia care guidelines recommend personalised, goal-directed rehabilitation, but this is not widely available in the community. Through this PhD project, Clare Stephenson aims to close that gap in a practical and affordable way.

She will trial a co-designed rehabilitation program tailored to each person’s goals and needs across both public and private healthcare settings. The program will be delivered at home by trained allied health assistants, with support from occupational therapists and physiotherapists. If successful, it could reduce hospitalisations and falls and help people living with dementia feel more supported to live well at home for longer.

What will it mean for people living with dementia?

• Better access to at-home personalised rehabilitation.
• Support to stay independent, safe and engaged in daily life for longer.
• More equitable care for people without a care partner or the ability to attend group programs.

Clare Stephenson is a PhD candidate with the Centre for Ageing Research and Translation at the University of Canberra. She is also a clinical nurse consultant with Canberra Health Services, where she leads nursing care for older people experiencing acute health challenges, including those related to dementia. Through her clinical work, she sees firsthand the long-term impacts of missed opportunities for early access to dementia rehabilitation. Clare brings this insight directly into her research and practice.