A mixed-method implementation scientist and Monash University researcher, Dr Katrina Long is dedicated to closing the knowledge-to-practice gap in aged care. And she wants to do it with “everyone” in the sector.
“I’m all about how we take evidence that other people and researchers produce and use it to put into evidence-based practice,” Long tells Australian Ageing Agenda on the sidelines of the Aged & Community Care Providers Association conference in October.
She loves that people in the sector are genuinely trying to do the right thing by those they care for. “The goodwill is there. For me, it’s that we all work together.”
And it is more than mere consultation with consumers. It’s about “sharing power with residents to make sure that their voices are heard in this and making sure that homecare recipients genuinely have a seat at the table” with providers, government, all other aged care stakeholders and researchers to deliver solutions, says Long.
“We shouldn’t be separated then brought together; we should support each other to have capacity to have those big conversations in the same tent.”
Long – who has a background in psychology – came from mental health to aged care research about four years ago. Her PhD awarded in 2019 focused on trying to improve mental health systems planning by working with management and consumers.
Her current roles at Monash University include lecturer in occupational therapy and lead of the Residential Aged Care Research Network – also known as RACReN – at the National Centre for Healthy Ageing.
“RACReN is my baby. It’s a network that aims to bring together everyone from the aged care sector … so we can co-create solutions and new innovations,” says Long.
“I designed it because it drives me bonkers that we have research that is useful. And it’s hard for the sector… to adopt because they don’t have time, resources or appropriate support. We get funded to deliver a research project. We prove it’s effective, and then we [don’t have] access to ongoing funding to make that sustainable in practice.”
There’s also been a history of researchers applying for grants without first talking to the people they want to use it, she adds.
Tell us what research we should do and help us do the research together
Dr Katrina Long
With RACReN, Long is striving for better. “It’s about making sure we have lived experience voices and our providers and anyone who’s going to use anything that we produce in the research is involved from the start of the process.
“Tell us what research we should do and help us do the research together. And then give that back to them in a usable format that isn’t an academic article that they need to read and try and understand.”
A project underway, explains Long, involves creating a simple toolkit of communication tools and strategies – such as best-practice translation apps and cue cards – to help staff engage with residents with limited English proficiency.
Another about to go into trial in collaboration with providers, the Australian Digital Health Agency and the Department of Health of Health and Aged Care involves developing a digital health summary for residents.
“It’s a one-pager that can be accessed on the internet or on an app that paramedics, aged care providers, families, GPs, and hospital staff can see when a resident is transferred to and from hospital,” says Long.
RACReN was established two years ago, initially as a local initiative in the Mornington Peninsula south of central Melbourne. “But people kept asking to join,” Long tells AAA.
We’re telling you that we’re here to help
Dr Katrina Long
There are about 75 individual members and 15 aged care providers covering around 180 aged care facilities. Most come from the eastern seaboard, but Western Australia and South Australia are also represented, she says. More members are welcome, says Long, whose aims include facilitating sustainable research relationships.
“That means that I can broker the relationships between the researchers and the sector,” says Long. Such as putting those with common interests together and not bothering others when the topic doesn’t suit. “Let’s matchmake you with someone who wants to do the research that you want to do.”
The chance to support vulnerable members of the community is among the many reasons Long loves working in aged care. The challenges – for her and other aged care researchers – reflect the rest of the sector, she says.
“The sector has limited workforce. They are exhausted with reforms. And that makes it hard for them to have space to be creative and engage with us because we’re seen as one extra thing to do. Even our student placements. It’s one other person that you need to manage versus a resource that can help.”
For this reason, Long and her colleagues were at the ACCPA conference to spread the word about the network and reach out to individuals and providers.
Her message: “You don’t need to work with us right now. And you can tell us what level you want to work with us. We’re telling you that we’re here to help. We have capacity, and we want to support the sector in achieving good things.”
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