Research round-up

Provider stimulates research in ageing; mature age employment increasing; survey to inform dementia-friendly communities; new study into telehealth; seniors ignoring pneumonia risk, research shows.

 

In this story:

  • Provider stimulates research in ageing
  • Mature age employment increasing
  • Survey to inform dementia-friendly communities
  • New study into telehealth
  • Seniors ignoring pneumonia risk, research shows

Provider stimulates research in ageing

Research initiatives that aim to improve the mind, mobility and lifestyle of senior Australians are encouraged to apply for funding through the IRT Research Foundation 2014 grants round.

Since it began the IRT Research Foundation has invested more than $1.4 million in research.

IRT chief executive officer Nieves Murray says the priority for the 2014 grants round is to support research that will help older people remain at home for longer. “The IRT Research Foundation will consider applications for projects of up to three years’ duration and allocate total funding up to $200,000.Australian researchers and institutions with expertise on topics affecting older people in Australia are eligible to apply,” she said.

The foundation is seeking research proposals that address one or more of the 30 research priority topics listed in the National Community Care Research Agenda, 2010 developed by Aged and Community Services Australia, the Australian Association of Gerontology and the ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well.

The deadline for grant applications is 30 June.

Grant application forms, including detailed instructions, are available on the foundation website

Mature age employment increasing

The past 30 years have seen a significant increase in the participation of mature age people in the Australian labour force, with a significant increase among mature age women in particular, new research shows.

The report, Past, present and future of mature age labour force participation in Australia from the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre showed that 77 per cent of females aged 50–54 years were in the labour force in 2012, compared with 44 per cent in 1982.

For males, the major increase in participation for all age groups over 50 years occurred during the last 10 years, the study found.

The research found differences among the states, with labour force participation by mature age people in NSW, Victoria and Queensland broadly consistent with the national pattern, while Tasmania and South Australia had slightly lower proportions.

“Within every state, the proportion of mature age employees working full-time is higher in capital cities when compared to their non-metropolitan counterparts. Non-metropolitan mature age people are more likely to be employed part-time or not in the labour force when compared to those in the city,” the report said.

Survey to inform dementia-friendly communities

People living with dementia and their carers are being asked to share their experiences of living in the community to help inform work being undertaken by Alzheimer’s Australia to create dementia-friendly communities across Australia.

Alzheimer’s Australia said it was conducting the survey as part of its overall advocacy campaign. All survey responses will be treated anonymously.

The survey can be accessed here

New study into telehealth

New research aims to trial nurse-supported telehealth to manage treatment of patients with chronic heart failure.

Dr Andrew Maiorana, Associate Professor at Curtin University’s School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science and lead investigator in the project, said an estimated 30,000 Australians were diagnosed with chronic heart failure (CHF) every year.

As part of the trial, patients with CHF will be linked from their homes to health professionals via the internet and telecommunications technology. The nurse-supported telehealth project will examine whether the technology can reduce emergency department presentations, hospital admissions and number of bed days, as well as whether it is a cost effective and manageable tool for patients with CHF.

Curtin received $350,000from the WA Department of Health Targeted Research Fund in support of the research.

Seniors ignoring pneumonia risk, research shows

Almost two-in-three Australian seniors may be jeopardising their health by not protecting against an often fatal lung infection, despite being at increased risk.

New research from Lung Foundation Australia shows 94 per cent of Australians aged 65 to 74 do not recognise age as a risk factor for pneumonia, while fewer than half correctly understand vaccination can defend against pneumococcal pneumonia – a severe form of pneumonia.

According to respiratory physician and Lung Foundation Australia board member Professor Lucy Morgan, while older Australians focus strongly on heart, skin and breast health, they tend to ignore their lung health, even though pneumonia-like illness (pneumonia and influenza) is among the top 10 contributing causes of death in Australia.

During Pneumonia Awareness Week last week, Lung Foundation Australia urged all Australian seniors to recognise the seriousness of pneumonia and to protect against the infection.

 

Tags: alzheimers-australia, curtin-university, dementia, dementia-friendly, design, irt, lung foundation australia, mature age employment, national-seniors, pneumonia, telehealth,

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