Reshaping aged care in Australia

Led by Deborah Parker, Professor of Nursing Aged Care (Dementia), School of Nursing and Midwifery, UTS Faculty of Health and David Brown, Professor, Accounting Discipline Group, UTS Business School, UARC brings together expertise in health, science, economics, business, law, humanities, social sciences, design and engineering. 

In the first of a new monthly research seminar series that will be held in RES Hub, David opened the session by reflecting on its objectives. 
 
“Probably the first thing we want to do with this seminar series is to provide proximity between us as scholars,” he explained.  

The other thing Deb and I talked about when planning the series was the question of how we as scholars develop capacity in our individual and collective skills and knowledge so that we can work in a more transdisciplinary way, considering that many of the problems we're wrestling require this.

“As Co-Directors, Deb and I have the great privilege of seeing all the research that goes on at UARC and we get to know all the people that are involved in it. We wanted to build a space in which we can come all together so that everybody gets visibility over what people are doing and has an opportunity to share their work.” 
 
David said that the series will feature research presented at varying stages of development. 

“Some sessions will focus on papers for critical analysis and feedback to go into journals. Others will be to explore early stage ideas, or related to policy work,” he said. 
 
“The other thing Deb and I talked about when planning the series was the question of how we as scholars develop capacity in our individual and collective skills and knowledge so that we can work in a more transdisciplinary way, considering that many of the problems we're wrestling require this.” 

David then introduced Professor Phillippa Carnemolla, the UARC Innovation & Design Theme Co-lead, who seeks to improve the homecare services provided to older Australians through in-home modifications and improving communities.  

“Phillippa's particularly interested in how the built environment shapes the way aged care services are provided and experienced, and for any of us who have aging parents, we see the significance of her research every day,” he said. 

Phillippa began her presentation by discussing some of the foundational research she has conducted over the past 8 years as a post-doctoral researcher at UTS, framed by the question: how do built environments shape the way aged care services are provided and experienced?  

“In asking this question, I'm able to find answers to others, such as how important is housing and neighbourhoods to a sustainable home care sector?” she said. 

From bathrooms to front doors to gardens and pathways, Phillippa investigates how a location, the type of house and who people live with impacts on their experience of living at home as they age.  

“All these things are critical to quality aged care services,” she said.  

“What about housing tenure? What if an older person’s housing situation is not stable or secure enough for them to receive aged care services at home? And what are people’s connections to local communities?” 

In asking such questions and looking at aspects of the built environment, Phillippa hopes to help us be better prepared to deliver and receive aged care in our communities, the place where the predominance of aged care is going to be delivered and received.  

“When you look at the data from 2017 to 2024, you can see that the numbers of people using Home Care has massively increased,” Phillippa said. 

Phillippa gave examples of how she frames such questions with current data as well as changes in the dynamics of care in the home, such as the quality and access to amenity in a local area and what happens when you bring technology into the relationship between the built environment and an older person. 

From the introduction of automated lighting systems in the home to how accessible are streetscapes, shopping precincts, transport and health systems, Phillippa is interested in what makes it easier for older people to continue living at home. Having safe access to shopping precincts is critical. 

When you think about communities as a broader system, community care is dispersed. It's essentially variable care that's distributed across really wide areas. So the way that we connect our spaces is critical, as is the way that we design our sites.

“These are important social spaces. Places where people not only buy food, but also access medications. And the local shopping centre might provide the only convivial encounter someone has each week when speaking with someone at a shop,” she said. 

In terms of the built environment, Phillippa wants to understand how these shopping spaces should be designed.  

“And even more importantly, we have learnt how critical the streetscapes and the parking places are as the means of getting to these places. Because you only need a broken footpath, and an older person won’t go to the shops.”