ARIIA Grants to fund innovative projects for positive ageing and care in Australia
Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) has announced the recipients of the Fifth Round of its Grants Program.
The support provided by these ARIIA Grants will fund the development and translation of a number of innovative projects that address important gaps in the aged care workforce’s capability and knowledge.
Working in consultation with the sector, several topics have been identified as a priority for attention to improve aged care: Dementia Care; Rehabilitation, Reablement & Restorative Care; Mental Health & Wellbeing; Social Isolation; Urgent & Critical Need; End of Life and Palliative Care; and Meaningful Lifestyle Activities: Addressing Staff Burnout; Technology in Aged Care; and Clinical Governance.
ARIIA Grants have been awarded to 10 high-quality projects that address these specific priorities:
- Australian Catholic University, and Amelo Dental for their project to increase the capacity of aged care workers, consumers and families to improve oral health. (Technology in Aged Care)
- Tobruk Engineering, Flinders University College of Science and Engineering, Lifecare and
Sage Automation for their introduction of a cost-effective, handsfree transfer system and integrated shower/day chair for Residential Aged Care facilities to reduce staffing levels, injuries and patient discomfort. (Staff Burnout) - Alfred Health, and Monash University for their intervention trial project to enhance recognition, response and improved end-of-life care delivery for older people transferred from residential aged care facilities to emergency departments. (End of Life and Palliative Care)
- Barossa Village, University of Wollongong, Tanunda Lutheran Homes, Wheatfields RC, Kaylra Belair RAC, Australian Delirium Assoc, i2i Consulting, and Implementation to Impact Centre for their intervention project ‘They weren’t like this yesterday’, to improve delirium detection and care in residential aged care facilities. (Urgent &Critical Need)
- Concentric Health Services, University of Canberra, Estia Health, and Macquarie University for their allied health reablement program for health and wellbeing optimisation in both the community and residential aged care facilities. (Dementia, Rehabilitation, Reablement and Restorative Care, Social Isolation, Meaningful Lifestyle Activities)
- Purple House, NT Health Department, Territory Palliative Care and Australian National University for their pilot program, ‘One last look” to provide community-based palliative care for Indigenous patient with end-stage renal disease. End of Life and Palliative Care, Technology in Aged Care)
- University of Melbourne, and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network for a staff-delivered music intervention project, to address patient and staff wellbeing within a specialist advanced dementia unit. (Dementia, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Staff Burnout)
- Griffith University, Infinite Aged Care, Nutrition Professionals Australia, Way of Life Nutrition, and Monash University for the Aged Care Triage by Allied Health (ACTAH) project that will address malnutrition identification and risks for aged care facility residents. (Rehabilitation, Reablement and Restorative Care)
- Community Vision, Essity (Asaleo Personal Care), and National Ageing Research Institute for their proposal to improve continence management outcomes and staff skills through the use of new sensor wear technology. (Dementia, Social Isolation, Technology in Aged Care)
- Brenna Trading, Australian Catholic University, and OneCare for a digital mobile app that streamlines communication between registered nurses and family members of residents in aged care. (Staff Burnout, Technology in Aged Care)
“ ARIIA Grants address community-based care and residential care priorities and will enable the recipients to work in urban and regional areas across Australia, with one to improve care for Indigenous patients in remote communities.
“A few projects will be addressing technology in aged care.
“The standard of applications was high, and as these projects must be undertaken over the next twelve months, we will be able to see research evidence and the impacts these projects make to the delivery of aged care.
“This makes a refreshing change for research projects, as historically, it takes around 17 years to translate research discovery and evidence into practice, and even then, only about 14% of research evidence is fully implemented and integrated.
“It's encouraging to see collaboration between aged care providers and research organizations, joining forces with other partners to bring about change in areas of need. As they must make a co-contribution to their project, their strong dedication is evident.
“We look forward to seeing how the Grant recipient’s projects result in practical outcomes, and real-world solutions with efficiency and immediacy that was previously unheard of.
“At the core of ARIIA's endeavours lies collaboration, and we appreciate the support and funding extended by the Australian and State Governments, as well as Flinders University. These partnerships empower us to engage with the aged care sector, facilitating substantial improvements to aged care.
The ARIIA Grants Program consists of at least six rounds funded against key sector priorities of focus for the aged care sector that are revised each grant round. Round 6 has closed, and recipients will be announced soon.