Research Report 2021 highlights passion to improve quality of life

HammondCare's latest endeavours to help shape the future of the health and aged care sector is showcased in our 2021 Research Report.

HammondCare’s Research Report 2021 outlines the 37 research projects, 56 grants awards and academic degree supervisions and 86 publications and presentations that show the commitment of its clinicians, academics and allied health professions to deliver evidence-based outcomes.

HammondCare Chief Executive Mike Baird said the research underway or recently completed are all aligned with HammondCare’s relationship-based Model of Care.

“I’m continually amazed at the passion of our team not only in delivering care but also to be continually learning and improving – helping us to fulfill our Mission to improve quality of life for people in need,” Mr Baird said.

Research projects highlighted by the report include:

• A review and adaptation of models of support for behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia to inform future policy and practice.
• Co-design of an online training program for music use for people with dementia.
• Implementation and evaluation of an intervention to improve palliative and end-of-life care for residents in aged care facilities.
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of HammondCare Darlinghurst at providing care for older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• Optimising functional and social independence and safety of older people living with dementia in care homes.
• How aged care workers can be more present with residents with dementia.

Other projects include sponsored clinical trials to investigate new drug treatment options in areas of early-stage dementias and other conditions.

HammondCare Executive Director Research, Associate Professor Colm Cunningham, said there had been important changes in the research governance model during the period to ensure research teams and those who support can add the most value to projects.

“These new processes are allowing us to capture research project outcomes and outputs, providing greater opportunity to disseminate and implement programs that benefit clients, patients, residents and families,” A/Prof Cunningham said.

New collaborative partnerships were built during the year, including a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Sydney to work together to shape the sector through research, education and social impact.

Internationally, HammondCare launched a knowledge exchange partnership with Topaz, a Netherlands-based aged and Huntington care leader.

A/Prof Cunningham said these partnerships would further confirm HammondCare’s position as a thought leader in the health and aged care sector.