AAG would like to congratulate the following individuals on their successful applications for the RM Gibson Research Fund Grant:
Dr Claire O'Connor
Affiliation: HammondCare and University of NSW
Project Title: Developing an assessment guide for practitioners implementing reablement programs for people living with dementia
Awarded: $7,000
Aims of the project:
There is currently no standardised approach to delivering reablement services to people living with dementia in Australia. The recently completed Reablement in Dementia project sought to address this by developing an evidence-informed Handbook of Reablement programs to support function in people living with dementia.1 The Handbook programs were developed by translating the diverse and at times, poorly described research into practical protocols for use by health practitioners. The next phase of this project involves dissemination to promote uptake of the Handbook across the dementia and aged care sector. Appropriate assessment of the efficacy of these newly synthesised programs is paramount. Yet, how the programs will be assessed in practice in such a diverse industry with a range of health practitioners has not been determined. The focus of this current application is to develop a brief guide for health practitioners on using a standardised approach (Goal Attainment Scaling-GAS) to assess the impact of engaging in reablement interventions for the person living with dementia.