How can aged care systems better reflect the experiences and perspectives of people living with dementia?
Amplifying the voices of people living with dementia in aged care reform
Join Dr Kristina Chelberg in the UTS Ageing and Research Collaborative (UARC) seminar series where she will share her research exploring how participatory approaches can help promote voice for people living with dementia and ensure they play an active role in aged care consultation, improvement, research and reform.
Driven by advocacy organisations and people living with dementia themselves, Kristina’s research is a response to growing momentum toward authentic engagement of people living with dementia as collaborators, advisors and co-researchers.
Despite this momentum that is increasingly mandated by ethics and funder requirements, people living with dementia remain underrepresented as active agents shaping aged care systems change. Participatory approaches are an opportunity to centre their voices in residential aged care to improve legitimacy and outcomes in both research and reform agendas.
“Given the majority of aged care residents live with dementia, it is critical to ensure their voices are heard in consultation that informs aged care systems change,” Kristina said.
Authentic collaborative practice involving people living with dementia raises complex ethical, legal and methodological issues. These are intensified within the operational contexts of residential aged care settings.
Given the majority of aged care residents live with dementia, it is critical to ensure their voices are heard in consultation that informs aged care systems change.
Drawing on her current Dementia Australia Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship, Promoting Voice of People Living with Dementia in Aged Care Improvement & Reform: Developing Innovative Approaches Through Participatory Action Research, Kristina will discuss efforts to support the inclusion of residents living with dementia in aged care quality and improvement consultations. The project is particularly relevant in the context of the new Aged Care Act 2024 (Cth), which includes mandatory feedback mechanisms such as Consumer Advisory Bodies.
The seminar will share early insights from Kristina’s project and invite discussion on rethinking traditional research methods, innovation and capability building in participatory approaches in residential aged care settings.
“While cultural, legal and structural barriers can make it challenging to ‘hear’ the perspectives and experiences of people living with dementia, failure to involve people living with dementia as active collaborators undermines their citizenship and human rights to exert change in residential aged care systems.”
Register to attend
Come along to learn more. Fruit, tea and coffee will be provided.
When: Wednesday 26 August 2026, 1-2pm.
Where: RES Hub Event Space (CB02.05.250)
What’s next?
- Discover Kristina’s research.
- Learn more about UARC.
- Connect with UARC via email to be informed about the next UARC Research Seminar.