Age & Ageing

Our Focus

Prevention, diagnosis and management

We are looking at ways to prevent, identify and treat adults with delirium, as well as those at risk of cognitive decline and falling.  This work involves looking at the impact of other injuries related to falls, and the development of one-stop-shops to assess and treat cognitive impairment and dizziness that will lead to fewer Emergency Department presentations, hospital admissions and, importantly, improved quality of life in older people.  

Models of care and service planning

We are undertaking research to identify any gaps based on current and future need. We also need to understand how much research supports aged care service integration. We are looking at how we can expand existing, successful models of care, how we can integrate projects – across services, systems and sectors – and identify the unmet service needs of aged care patients and families.

Quality of life

We are working closely with patients to make person-centred care a reality. This kind of care reflects a person’s preferences, which enable a better quality of life. We are also looking at how we can ensure a smooth transition from one care setting to the next, and improving how we support and enable caregivers.

Assistive technology (AT) and environment

We are exploring how to use smart environments and AT to detect and manage falls and dementia remotely. We’re also developing research methodologies to continually test the effectiveness of AT.

Health Workforce

We are ensuring the healthcare workforce is prepared and capable of caring for older people. As such, we are creating aged care competency frameworks that can be used across multiple settings: nursing, medical, allied health, pharmacy and care workers.

Our Team

Since the AAA Theme’s inception, the Executive Committee has been deliberately structured to build capacity in the next generation of clinical research leaders in ageing science. The directorship and the five working groups are co-led by a mix of senior and junior clinicians and researchers from five SPHERE partner organisations. This governance structure ensures the Theme’s strategy and direction has input from a range of voices and promotes a culture of mentorship.

AAA Consumer Council

The AAA Consumer Council was formed in 2022 and is the representative body of consumers and community participants for the AAA Clinical Theme. The Consumer Council is formed by eight consumers with various lived experiences (carers, patients, service providers, students etc) and cultural backgrounds. The Consumer Council’s role is to review and provide input on our research priorities and projects and work in partnership with researchers to disseminate clinical research findings and outcomes. 

If you would like to link up with the AAA Consumer Council, please contact Kristine Concepcion, Research Support Officer.

Partnerships

We are constantly developing new partnerships and investing time into those already built. Across our theme we are currently working with seven other SPHERE Clinical Themes and Platforms, 10 SPHERE partner organisations and 29 external groups/organisations for better quality of life for older people. We work across disciplines, campuses, geographies and organisations to achieve our vision. Our group has been set up to appeal to a broad audience and we welcome anyone with an interest in ageing research to join us. 

If you would like to join the Age and Ageing Clinical Theme, you can do so here.

Contact us:

For more information on our work, contact Kristine Concepcion