Developing a research-policy-practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural communities
Tracks
Harbour View 2
Best practice
Evidence based practice
Future Directions
Integrated Care
Models of Care
| Friday, November 15, 2024 |
| 8:45 AM - 10:30 AM |
Speaker
Dr Rachel Winterton
Senior Research Fellow
La Trobe University
Developing a research-policy-practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural communities
Thinktank abstract
The role of integrated care in addressing older people’s health and social care needs is promoted across global policy contexts. In rural settings, this is important given ongoing challenges associated with service availability, and heightened rates of potentially preventable hospitalizations, chronic disease and injury. While integrated age-friendly care frameworks are gaining traction across international contexts, these models of care were commonly developed and are delivered in urban, acute health systems. Less is known about the provision of integrated, age-friendly health care in the Australian rural policy and practice context.
This Think Tank aims to develop a broad research, policy, and practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural community settings, drawing on a recently developed rural age-friendly care framework as a guide. The Indigo 4Ms Framework is a rurally specific approach to addressing older people’s health and social care needs based on the Institute for Health Improvement’s 4Ms and the World Health Organization’s Integrated Care for Older People guidelines, modified for use in Australian rural settings. It structures and prioritises the integration of care for rural older people across four interrelated core elements: what matters, medications, mobility, and mental health. These core elements have aligned actions aimed at improving quality and safety of care for older people.
This Think Tank will introduce participants to the Indigo 4Ms approach, and its alignment with older people’s health care needs, health workforce practices, and health and aged care policy objectives. Participants will then engage in critical discussions about how to bridge the ‘know-do’ gap taking a whole of community, systems approach. The proposed outcome of this workshop will be a research, policy and practice agenda for developing and promoting an age-friendly approach to care of older people in rural settings. The agenda will be further refined with active input from workshop participants post-workshop, and then developed into a publication.
Proposed activity timeline (2 hours)
Welcome, introductions and agenda for the Think Tank: 5 minutes
Introduction to the Indigo 4Ms Framework and Tools: 20 minutes
• Outline of the framework and tools
• An older person’s reflections on engagement in the co-design of the tool and putting it into practice
• Clinical practice examples from a small rural health service
Group work: 60 minutes
3 x rounds of 20-minute table discussions (participants to allocate themselves to tables of their choosing), which will address:
• Actions needed to effectively translate the Indigo 4Ms into research, policy and practice
• Barriers and facilitators to doing so, reflecting on systemic factors (e.g. climate and context needed, knowledge needed for uptake, demand from older people, and policy-practice linkages)
Summary and reflections: 30 minutes
Next steps and close: 5 minutes
This Think Tank aims to develop a broad research, policy, and practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural community settings, drawing on a recently developed rural age-friendly care framework as a guide. The Indigo 4Ms Framework is a rurally specific approach to addressing older people’s health and social care needs based on the Institute for Health Improvement’s 4Ms and the World Health Organization’s Integrated Care for Older People guidelines, modified for use in Australian rural settings. It structures and prioritises the integration of care for rural older people across four interrelated core elements: what matters, medications, mobility, and mental health. These core elements have aligned actions aimed at improving quality and safety of care for older people.
This Think Tank will introduce participants to the Indigo 4Ms approach, and its alignment with older people’s health care needs, health workforce practices, and health and aged care policy objectives. Participants will then engage in critical discussions about how to bridge the ‘know-do’ gap taking a whole of community, systems approach. The proposed outcome of this workshop will be a research, policy and practice agenda for developing and promoting an age-friendly approach to care of older people in rural settings. The agenda will be further refined with active input from workshop participants post-workshop, and then developed into a publication.
Proposed activity timeline (2 hours)
Welcome, introductions and agenda for the Think Tank: 5 minutes
Introduction to the Indigo 4Ms Framework and Tools: 20 minutes
• Outline of the framework and tools
• An older person’s reflections on engagement in the co-design of the tool and putting it into practice
• Clinical practice examples from a small rural health service
Group work: 60 minutes
3 x rounds of 20-minute table discussions (participants to allocate themselves to tables of their choosing), which will address:
• Actions needed to effectively translate the Indigo 4Ms into research, policy and practice
• Barriers and facilitators to doing so, reflecting on systemic factors (e.g. climate and context needed, knowledge needed for uptake, demand from older people, and policy-practice linkages)
Summary and reflections: 30 minutes
Next steps and close: 5 minutes
Biography
Dr Rachel Winterton: Rachel is a senior research fellow at the John Richards Centre for Rural Research, located in the La Trobe Rural Health School. Rachel's research focuses primarily on experiences of ageing in rural and regional settings. She has published in leading international ageing, geography and rural studies journals on topics relating to rural ageing and volunteering, rural age-friendly communities and health systems, and active citizenship among rural older people.
After a career in both the education and health sectors Jenny Donnelly is now enjoying active retirement. A strong supporter of community engagement and participation in her employment roles, she was keen to see co-design and service provision from the perspective of a consumer. This has enabled her to enthusiastically participate in continuing the Indigo 4M's journey as well as other volunteer activities in her local rural community in North East Victoria.
Dr Kathleen Brasher
Research Fellow
John Richards Centre, La Trobe University
Developing a research-policy-practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural communities
Biography
Dr Kathleen Brasher: Kathleen is a research fellow at the John Richards Centre for Rural Research, La Trobe University. Kathleen obtained her PhD in the sociology of health and illness at Monash University. Kathleen’s research interests include rural health and well-being in later life, program evaluation, participatory methods, and community development in rural settings. Since 2006, Kathleen has been involved in the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Communities initiative, providing advice and training across Australia and internationally. Kathleen is a technical advisor to the WHO Global Network for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities. She is the co-author of numerous scientific articles, book chapters, and policy and practice resources.
Dr Mark Ashcroft
Adjunct Associate Professor
La Trobe University, John Richards Centre For Rural Ageing Research
Developing a research-policy-practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural communities
Biography
Mark has clinical and administrative backgrounds in healthcare both in Victoria and interstate. He has worked in both of the public and private healthcare sectors in Australia and in the Scottish NHS in the UK. He holds a PhD with an interest in healthcare management and health care policy related research.
Ms Jenny Donnelly
Member
Indigo 4Ms Advisory Group
Developing a research-policy-practice agenda for age-friendly care in rural communities
Biography
