2022 Hal Kendig Research Development Program recipients

AAG congratulates the following members on their successful applications for the 2022 Hal Kendig Research Development Program grants:

Awardee: Dr Meredith Gresham

Affiliation: University of New South Wales

Grant: $19,777

Living with uncertainty: What information do people with mild cognitive impairment and families need and want after diagnosis?

The aim of this project is to understand what information, strategies and supports could improve the diagnostic and post-diagnostic experience of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their main supporters. Through a triadic case study approach, Meredith is:

  • Exploring what information about MCI is wanted and needed from the perspectives of people with MCI, their supporters, and health care professionals.

  • Seeking to understand appropriate and accessible formats for providing information, and

  • Probing the most appropriate ways in which information can be delivered for these three groups.

 

Dr Meredith Gresham is an occupational therapist with over 35 years' clinical and research experience focusing on support of people with dementia and carers. She has expertise in re-ablement, the design of the physical environment and use of assistive technology to improve function and independence of older people. She developed a model of residential care for people with very severe behaviours in dementia, now being implemented nationally. Her PhD, conferred in 2019, was a clinical utility study of novel bidet technology that improved toileting care for aged care residents and staff.

Awardee: Dr Chiara Naseri

Affiliation: University of Western Australia

Grant: $19,750

What influences older people to join a community hub to engage in healthy ageing programs?

The aim of this project is to understand the factors that impact on whether older people with diverse needs, such as chronic diseases and social isolation, initiate and sustain attendance at local community hubs healthy ageing programs. Through a realistic evaluation, specific aims are to identify:
 
  • The barriers and enablers (Context -Mechanism -Outcomes) to engagement in community-hub based wellness programs from the perspective of older consumers, the community hub, and local community influences, including factors that would sustain their engagement
  • Use the Conjectured Context Mechanism Outcome (CCMO) framework to understand factors that could be introduced into the CONNECT 60+ wellness program from the perspective of older people, community-hub members, and community stakeholders including local government

Findings will assist to understand how healthy ageing at the individual and local community level can be developed and sustained to provide a wellness program with alignment to psychosocial dimensions of wellbeing and healthy ageing.

 

Dr Chiara Naseri is an Early Career Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia School of Allied Health, and WA Centre for Health and Ageing. She is an experienced physiotherapist and community service developer in older adults areas, working both in clinical physiotherapy and research for over 20 years. She completed a PhD at Curtin University in 2020, looking at older adults' recovery after hospital discharge.