Georgina Chelberg

What is the focus of the research?

Evaluating whether parkrun referrals by health professionals can enhance quality of life for people living with dementia.

Why is this important?

People living with dementia and their carers face significant barriers to engaging in community activities. This often leads to social isolation, physical inactivity and reduced overall wellbeing, which can further impact cognitive resilience.
parkrun is a free, community-led, five-kilometre event held weekly in parks and outdoor spaces worldwide. People can engage with parkrun events as volunteers, walkers, runners, or spectators. The parkrun Practice Initiative, led by parkrun Australia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, encourages GPs to prescribe parkrun to patients. The aim is to improve health and wellbeing, support personal empowerment and strengthen community connection.

This type of non-medical prescription is called social prescribing and is designed to enhance wellbeing through engagement in meaningful, enjoyable activities. While evidence shows the general benefits of parkrun participation, little is known about how social prescribing works for people living with dementia. Dr Chelberg will generate real-world evidence on the impact of social prescribing for people living with dementia and how GPs and other health professionals can be better equipped to strengthen community connection through referrals.

What could it mean for people living with dementia?

• Improved quality of life.
• More confidence, empowerment and social connections.
• Increased support for GPs and other health professionals to use social prescribing to promote wellbeing.

Dr Chelberg is a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Ageing Research and Translation, University of Canberra. She aims to enhance access and quality of post-diagnostic dementia supports in Australia. Dr Chelburg is currently a co-investigator for the evaluation of a 10-week multicomponent rehabilitation program for people living with dementia and their care partners in the ACT region. Her public health career has included roles with Dementia Training Australia, CSIRO and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.