Promoting voice of people living with dementia in aged care improvement and reform: developing innovative approaches through participatory action research

Start year: 2025

Summary: People living with dementia are often excluded from direct participation (ie not using a proxy) in aged care feedback, consultation, governance, improvement and reform processes (‘aged care consultation’) despite most persons in residential aged care having a dementia diagnosis. To address this systemic exclusion, this research project will use two primary consumer feedback mechanisms within the QI Program and Star Ratings as a case study to explore innovative approaches to improve direct participation in aged care consultation by people living with dementia. The project will use participatory action research (‘PAR’) based in residential aged care facilities (‘RACFs’) to examine: (1) What innovative approaches currently exist to support voice in people with communication or cognitive impairments that could be adapted, transferred and utilised in aged care consultation? (2) What are the barriers and facilitators to direct participation? (3) What can be learned by trialling innovative approaches to direct participation? (4) What principles and resources can be developed to guide and support use of innovative approaches to direct participation?

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.