Thursday Three - 09 05 2024

  • 2024 Gary Andrews International Fellow (GAIF) - Susan Concordo Harding

  • AAG 500 blog: Paramedics and dementia care

  • Psychological therapies for aged care residents

2024 GAIF announcement

2024 Gary Andrews International Fellow - Susana Concordo Harding

We are pleased to formally announce that the Gary Andrews International Fellow for 2024 is Susana Concordo Harding.

Susana's work aligns seamlessly with our conference theme, focusing on innovative approaches to addressing the challenges of ageing societies. Her insights into enhancing the positive aspects of caregiving and practical strategies for reducing or delaying care dependency resonate deeply with our conference's focus.

Susana is Senior Director at the International Longevity Centre Singapore, an Initiative of Tsao Foundation. She is also Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Flinders University. Her policy and research interests are ageing and gender and its intersectionality, caregiving, financial security, community resilience, active and successful ageing, long term care, empowerment, and community development. Susana graduated Cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and holds master's degree in public administration (MPA) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore. She is also the Honorary Secretary of the Board of Directors at Centre for Seniors, a non-profit, Social Service Agency that is dedicated to helping seniors to remain meaningfully engage in work and in life, as well as Honorary Secretary of the Gerontological Society of Singapore.

We eagerly anticipate Susana's arrival in Australia, where she will deliver the Gary Andrews International Fellow plenary address at the 2024 AAG Conference in Hobart.

AAG 500 blog: Paramedics and dementia care



We’re pleased to be sharing a fascinating range of topics through the AAG 500 blog.

This month, AAG member and qualified paramedic Max Han considers the role of paramedics in dementia care.
 
While paramedics are equipped to deliver care across different settings, the emergent nature of their work puts them at the front line of clinical and psychosocial support for people in crisis. However, they are ill-equipped to deliver the best care for people with dementia. Looking to the future, Max hopes to see the paramedic skillset adequately right-sized to dementia care, so every individual living with dementia is not disadvantaged during care transitions.

Psychological therapies for aged care residents

A new Cochrane review offers promising evidence for healthcare providers, policy makers, older people and their families, friends and carers wanting better quality of life and mental health services for aged care residents.

Aged care residents are one of the highest risk populations for depression in Australia. With treatment often characterised by an over-reliance on anti-depressant medication, essential information about the effectiveness of psychological therapies has been lacking.

Evaluating clinical trials published around the world over the last 40 years, the review team - including several AAG members - found that psychological therapies may be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, with effects lasting over several months. There is also preliminary evidence suggesting psychological therapies may also improve residents' quality of life and psychological well-being.