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Australian projects and initiatives

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The projects and initiatives listed here were identified through an environmental scan focusing on rehabilitation, reablement, and restorative care in aged care settings and are current as of May 2023. This list is not likely to be comprehensive. Please contact us if you would like us to consider an Australian study, project, or initiative for inclusion on this page.

For a complete overview of projects funded by ARIIA to address important gaps in the aged care workforce’s capability and knowledge, please refer to ARIIA Projects.

Research studies

The findings of these research projects may not yet be available. However, awareness of work in progress can inform other projects in the planning phase and facilitate connections between researchers and potential participants or collaborators. To see all registered clinical trials on rehabilitation, reablement and restorative care topics, try searching the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry

Partnership to transform dementia care in residential aged care: Improving the lives of people living with dementia
Lead organisation: University of Sydney 
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Dementia Australia and Leading Age Services Australia, and aged-care service providers HammondCare, Calvary, Whiddon and Bolton Clarke
Funding organisation: National Health and Medical Research Council
Aged care providers are partnering with universities on a $3 million collaboration that aims to maximise the independence, health and wellbeing of people living with dementia in residential aged care. The five-year project led by University of Sydney will see researchers work with dementia and aged care sector peaks to implement person-centred reablement support for aged care residents with dementia.

Care Of People with dementia in their Environments (COPE) program
Lead organisation: University of Sydney and Flinders University
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Flinders University, Drexel University, University of Queensland, Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre (CDPC), HammondCare, Brightwater
Funding organisation: National Health and Medical Research Council
COPE (Care Of People with dementia in their Environments) is an occupational therapy and nursing program for people living with dementia and their families. COPE is a practical program, working with the person with dementia and the carer together, to help both the person with dementia to manage their day-to-day activities and the carer to support the person with dementia to live at home.

The LiveUp Study: early implementation evaluation of a digital suite of solutions aimed at improving functional abilities in older adults
Lead organisation: Monash University
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Independent Living Assessment
Funding organisation: Unknown
This project is about healthy ageing. The project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the LiveUp self assessment tool and associated online resources in helping older Australians to undertake actions to improve independence.

National Rural Health Alliance Transition care research project
Lead organisation: Monash University
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Friends of the Alliance
Funding organisation: Australian Government Department of Health
This project aims to identify carers’ experiences and needs in supporting older adults who are discharged from hospital to home.

Interdisciplinary Home-bAsed Reablement Program (I-HARP)
Lead organisation: University of Sydney
Status: In progress
Supporting organisation(s): Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Bangor University, Curtin University, University of New South Wales
Funding organisation: National Health and Medical Research Council
This project aims to help older people with dementia remain healthy and independent in their own homes.