Service FinderInnovative Research & Projects
Research For A Better Future
As an innovative and progressive ageing care provider, ECH is committed to improving the lives of older Australians now and into the future. We are dedicated to making a meaningful contribution to a sustainable, inclusive and community focused industry for the long-term.
For these reasons, ECH is actively involved in several collaborative research projects with universities, Government and other ageing care providers to find new ways to significantly benefit and improve the lives of millions of older Australians.
Funded by ECH through Government grants, and in association with other research partners, these innovative projects will provide positive and lasting outcomes for all older people, now and into the future.
Quality of Life for Aged Care Consumers
Quality of life is often said to reduce as you age. Finding out what is important to people and creating ways in which those services can be made available to all will play a key role in helping older people to remain motivated and in control of their independence.
The Quality of Life for Aged Care Consumers project examines quality of life for older people and what matters most to them.
In partnership with Flinders University, ECH is speaking with a variety of older people receiving ageing care services to find out what is most important for them to have the best quality of life as they age.
The main focus of the project is to understand the perspectives of older people and create new tools that will assist them to access financially available aged care services independently. Once developed, it will also importantly help to measure individual’s preferences on what is important to them for a good quality of life.
This research project will ultimately assist ECH to continue to tailor and improve its services to meet the needs of older people, ensuring clients are provided with the best care available.
Engagement with Life and Meaning Study
Loneliness and isolation are associated with poor physical and mental health. Staying socially connected and engaged with the community is vital to ageing well.
ECH has partnered with The Office for Ageing Well and Flinders University for the Engagement with Life and Meaning Study. This initiative explores how to engage with and encourage older people to get involved in meaningful activities they not only enjoy, but which also benefit them socially and mentally.
The study is exploring what a meaningful activity looks like, how it promotes engagement, and most importantly – how it aligns with the key interests and strengths of older people.
It will give aged care providers an understanding of the factors that contribute to a successful activity, while also helping them to better plan individually tailored activities that promote positive and meaningful engagement.
Psychological Wellbeing and Financial Decision Making
31% of older Australians reported feelings of fear or panic associated with their finances in 2020*.‘The psychological wellbeing and financial decision-making of older Australians in times of uncertainty’ was a project ECH participated in along with UniSA and RMIT University. Funded by Ecstra Foundation, the project looked at how financial decision making by older people can be affected in a time of crisis.Crisis situations can induce panic, especially if people feel they have limited control over events. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and lack of hope which can potentially influence decisions and financial behaviors.Overall, the results were largely positive with most older Australians reporting that they felt financially secure and that they hadn’t made any hasty decisions regarding their finances.
However, there were some differences in the results depending on age, gender and working status, with 31 percent of people surveyed reporting some feeling of fear or panic associated with their finances in 2020.
The findings from the research has led to the development of an information package to help older people better understand and manage their finances.
Female, over 50, Private Rental
Older women, those aged 55 and over, was the fastest growing cohort of homeless Australians between 2011 and 2016, increasing by 31%.*
The Female, over 50, Private Rental project in association with Flinders University explores the experiences of women aged 50-64 years living alone in private rental accommodation.
Older women are the fastest growing group of homeless people in Australia. This project aims to provide a better understanding of the potential factors that lead to homelessness as they age and identify ways to prevent older females from becoming homeless.
ECH and Flinders University are working closely together to develop recommendations based on participants’ own experiences that will lead to support in finding more suitable and secure housing for this group.
The project will provide critical insight into the housing journeys and needs of ageing women. It will also help ECH identify ways to prevent homelessness and promote living independently in this group.
*Source: humanrights.gov.au