Citizen Scientists to Record Their Experiences of Aged Care in New Federal Funded Project

Older Australians will become citizen scientists in a new Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI) project awarded funding by the Australian Research Council.

AIHI’s Associate Professor Magda Raban will lead the Discovery Grant project funded at $534,527. By becoming citizen scientists, Australian’s will create a unique databank, recording the experiences and preferences of older adults being cared for in residential aged care facilities.

“From the contributing of personal stories and experiences to the design of better, more person-centred care practices, older Australians and their families will be at the heart of this project,” Associate Professor Raban says.

Researchers and consumers will co-design and co-develop a digital platform where, as citizen scientists, older adults in aged care and their loved ones, will be able to contribute detailed accounts of their care experiences and preferences.

“Often the details of our health care experiences are not captured and heard,” Associate Professor Raban says.

“While we may be ‘satisfied’ with the overall level of care, we can still point to what could have been done better. Our project aims to capture these details of care delivery in aged care,” Associate Professor Raban says.

“The initial focus of the project will be on the management of infections and antibiotics use, as we know this can be an area filled with uncertainty for consumers,” Associate Professor Raban says.

Antibiotic overuse and infection control, such as for urinary and respiratory tract infections, are key concerns in aged care and will be a priority area for the project.

“We believe that this citizen scientist approach in aged care has enormous potential to improve care and could be replicated in other settings in the future,” Associate Professor Raban says.

Members of the research team are Associate Professor Raban, Professor Johanna Westbrook, Director of AIHI’s Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Dr Amy Nguyen and Associate Professor Annie Lau, all from AIHI.

Australian Research Council Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Johnson, announced the funding from the Federal Government on 26 November 2024.

How can I find a residential aged care home near me?

Residential aged care homes are located throughout Australia. To begin your search, simply click on your state below and then enter in your desired suburb (or the name of the aged care provider if you already have a home in mind):

• Aged care in the ACT
• Aged care in New South Wales
• Aged care in the Northern Territory
• Aged care in Queensland
• Aged care in South Australia
• Aged care in Tasmania
• Aged care in Victoria
• Aged care in Western Australia