{"id":4,"date":"2019-09-25T13:47:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T04:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/?p=4"},"modified":"2021-05-31T09:16:03","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T23:46:03","slug":"researchers-improve-dementia-care-through-online-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/2019\/09\/25\/researchers-improve-dementia-care-through-online-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Researchers improve dementia care through online support"},"content":{"rendered":"

Enhancing online support for dementia carers can help unlock better ways of using care resources \u2013 which is the key to important research being done by Professor Lily Xiao, from <\/span>Flinders University\u2019s<\/span> Caring Futures Institut<\/span>e<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her work on improving dementia care through online support modes strikes at the heart of difficulties surrounding improved care of dementia patients \u2013 and ensuring that the carers devoted to such intensive work are properly cared for as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is one of several key projects of the\u202f<\/span>Caring Futures Institute<\/span><\/a>, launched by Flinders University on 13 August 2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCaring is fundamental to any society but we need to do better, particularly in the context of our ageing populations, chronic illness, rising health care costs and the opportunities presented from advancing technology,\u201d says Professor Alison Kitson, Vice-President of Flinders University\u2019s College of Nursing and Health Sciences and inaugural leader of the Caring Futures Institute.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Caring Futures Institute is focused on better care across the lifespan \u2013 developing solutions with partners and end-users to deliver societal and economic benefits,\u201d Professor Kitson says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A key example of this is providing care for someone with dementia. \u201cIt\u2019s very challenging, because they often need to be provided with 24\/7 care,\u201d says Dr Xiao.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to promote consumer directed self-care, which means that services must be decided by the consumers, rather than the service providers.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An important part of the evolving new platform is the iSupport<\/span>\u00a0group, where people can communicate with each other, learn and share from others<\/span>\u2019<\/span> practical experiences and be part of a community where their challenges are understood.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re helping the carers to understand how to care for themselves as well,\u201d says Professor Xiao. \u201cWe know many of these carers are elderly themselves, often husband and wives. They also need support and care.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Xiao and her team are now applying for funding to complete an English version of <\/span>isupport<\/span>, which will then be translate<\/span>d<\/span> into different languages that can reach across Australia\u2019s multi-cultural communities, so that the platform is able to<\/span> provide culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and support for all communities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Kitson says this is one example of many society-changing projects to be advanced through the Caring Futures Institute. \u201cA future with answers to our greatest health challenges, where the highest standard of care is available to all who need it, is not out of reach,\u201d she says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The importance of quality of life to aged care consumers and their families has been highlighted in the ongoing\u202f<\/span>Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety this year.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These assessments are important to support Consumer Directed Care and the successful implementation of the new Aged Care Quality Standards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, spending on aged care programs and services is expected to rise to $80 billion by 2054-2055. Economic evaluation helps decision-makers fund services and supports that maximise quality of life for older people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Enhancing online support for dementia carers can help unlock better ways of using care resources \u2013 which is the key to important research being done by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":464,"featured_media":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1840],"tags":[23,25,24],"class_list":["post-4","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-research","tag-aged-care","tag-better-care","tag-dementia"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/464"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}