Event puts aged care issues and solutions under the spotlight

Researchers and educators from Flinders University are holding a two-day forum to address current issues in aged care and brainstorm solutions for improving the lives of older Australians.

Researchers and educators from Flinders University are holding a two-day forum to address current issues in aged care and brainstorm solutions for improving the lives of older Australians.

Care Hack, which is an initiative of Flinders University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, will look at finding ideas, concepts and solutions to reimagine ageing and aged care.

The free event is a brainstorming competition towards finding the best solution that improves the lives of older Australians open to students, industry partners, researchers, aged care providers and the aged care workforce.

Care Hack creator Professor Jennifer Tieman said the event aimed to make a positive difference to the future of aged care.

“It is a chance to redesign the whole system or one part of one element to lead to an outcome that improves the life and care of older Australians,” said Professor Tieman, the university’s Matthew Flinders Fellow.

Professor Jennifer Tieman

“We want to take on the challenge of disruption, and of looking at the problem with a different lens to find new ways of doing things in the community, in the home and in aged care facilities,” Professor Tieman said.

Sector issues on the Care Hack program include:

  • the length an older person should remain at home
  • the impact of technology and community issues on social isolation and loneliness
  • how to increase the aged care workforce
  • whether providers can keep up with the increase in demand for aged care services.

Professor Tieman said there was a lot of work to be done to improve the aged care sector.

“You only have to turn the TV or read a paper to realise that there is room for improvement in aged care,” she said.

“We need to explore how to do things differently to meet the needs and expectations of all involved, [including] older people, family members, care providers, investors and funders, and the community and taxpayers,” Professor Tieman said.

National aged care innovation network industry innovAGEING is a partner to the event, and the network’s head Merlin Kong has been appointed as one of three judges on the panel.

People of any age and ability are encouraged to participate in the event. The top three ideas will be awarded cash prizes.

Care Hack will be held at the Flinders University Bedford Park campus on 16-17 February 2019.

Find out more information here.

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