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Research Strategy
Research at Benetas is guided by a rights-based approach that supports each person’s right to dignity, agency, inclusion and equality through research that is meaningful, relevant and practical.
It is our explicit aim to conduct research that guides innovative, evidence-informed programs and activities, and to facilitate the implementation of evidence into practice. In practice, we do this by:
- Inviting clients, residents, their families, employees and other stakeholders to identify research opportunities and contribute to the research process
- Conducting our research in a way that is transparent, participatory, accessible and responsive to the needs of older adults
- Collaborating with other researchers to achieve shared goals
- Ethical conduct in all research processes and practices
- Taking an empathic approach to research, which respects participants’ individuality and integrates their insights as experts-by-experience
- Producing findings that allow understanding and comparison between participants and contexts
- Sharing and disseminating our findings in ways that maximise the potential of our research to inform policy and practice.
Our frequent collaboration with external research institutes, universities and other research networks strengthens our research processes, outcomes and impact.
About Benetas
Research
At Benetas, we undertake strategic, co-ordinated research that makes a positive difference to the lives of older Victorians, their families and carers.
Every research project we undertake is designed to guide innovative, evidence-informed programs and activities.
By collaborating with other researchers, industry and government, we maximise the reach and potential of our work to inform advocacy, policy and practice.
Current Research Projects
Experts-by-experience project
Outdoor Spaces Project
Client Experience Surveys
The aim of this project is to capture the lived experience of residential staff working through COVID-19. Members of the Research team have visited each Benetas home to talk to the experts: the staff. Eighty employees were interviewed, representing the breadth of roles in residential care, including customer support, lifestyle, maintenance, direct care, hospitality and management.
While analysis progresses, it is clear that Residential Services staff should be immensely proud of themselves. From the preliminary themes, there are countless examples of incredible team work, with everyone going above and beyond to look after residents. Their extraordinary effort during the peak crisis periods of COVID involved working across roles and outside rostered hours, reflecting a genuine commitment to resident wellbeing. However, it has been hard for everyone to enforce processes that restricted resident contact with each other and visitors, even though the aim was to keep them safe from COVID.
The challenges of working through COVID were made worse by ongoing negative media coverage of the ‘failings’ of aged care workers, which significantly reduced staff morale and increased stress. Aside from the importance of recording the unique experience of these historical events, staff have appreciated the opportunity to share their experiences, and bring their lived experience and expertise in caregiving during the COVID crisis to the broader conversation about aged care. A full report will be compiled once data analysis has been completed.
The aim of this project is to determine whether an intervention co-designed with staff, family and residents can safely improve access to and use of outdoor spaces for people living in residential aged care homes. For this project, taking place at St George’s, the Research team has conducted surveys with residents, relatives and staff on their views on the use of outdoor spaces.
An audit of the outdoor spaces has also been undertaken. A group forum took place in September 2022, at which the project team presented their analysis of the initial survey and interview findings, and participants were invited to inform how the safe use of outdoor spaces may be optimised. The research team is now analysing the feedback from this collaborative session, which will be discussed at a further meeting to confirm the specific interventions that will be undertaken as part of the project. The outcomes of this project will be transferable to all Benetas homes.
Through regular, scheduled surveys, we identify areas of service provision that can be improved or changed in residential and community-based services. The findings also help us to identify the extent to which Benetas’ principles and values are reflected in clients’ experiences. In this way, our clients and their relatives inform our continuous quality improvement program.
These surveys are managed by the Research team, to ensure their independence and integrity of the process. We report our findings to managers, residents and their relatives, and employees.
The aim of this project is to capture the lived experience of residential staff working through COVID-19. Members of the Research team have visited each Benetas home to talk to the experts: the staff. Eighty employees were interviewed, representing the breadth of roles in residential care, including customer support, lifestyle, maintenance, direct care, hospitality and management.
While analysis progresses, it is clear that Residential Services staff should be immensely proud of themselves. From the preliminary themes, there are countless examples of incredible team work, with everyone going above and beyond to look after residents. Their extraordinary effort during the peak crisis periods of COVID involved working across roles and outside rostered hours, reflecting a genuine commitment to resident wellbeing. However, it has been hard for everyone to enforce processes that restricted resident contact with each other and visitors, even though the aim was to keep them safe from COVID.
The challenges of working through COVID were made worse by ongoing negative media coverage of the ‘failings’ of aged care workers, which significantly reduced staff morale and increased stress. Aside from the importance of recording the unique experience of these historical events, staff have appreciated the opportunity to share their experiences, and bring their lived experience and expertise in caregiving during the COVID crisis to the broader conversation about aged care. A full report will be compiled once data analysis has been completed.
The aim of this project is to determine whether an intervention co-designed with staff, family and residents can safely improve access to and use of outdoor spaces for people living in residential aged care homes. For this project, taking place at St George’s, the Research team has conducted surveys with residents, relatives and staff on their views on the use of outdoor spaces.
An audit of the outdoor spaces has also been undertaken. A group forum took place in September 2022, at which the project team presented their analysis of the initial survey and interview findings, and participants were invited to inform how the safe use of outdoor spaces may be optimised. The research team is now analysing the feedback from this collaborative session, which will be discussed at a further meeting to confirm the specific interventions that will be undertaken as part of the project. The outcomes of this project will be transferable to all Benetas homes.
Through regular, scheduled surveys, we identify areas of service provision that can be improved or changed in residential and community-based services. The findings also help us to identify the extent to which Benetas’ principles and values are reflected in clients’ experiences. In this way, our clients and their relatives inform our continuous quality improvement program.
These surveys are managed by the Research team, to ensure their independence and integrity of the process. We report our findings to managers, residents and their relatives, and employees.
Completed Projects
‘Short and sweet e-learning’
The aim of this project was to understand the learning needs of community aged care workers and trial a micro-learning approach to evaluate acceptability and feasibility for the approach. For this project, we collaborated with the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC), of which Benetas is a member. The trial of two different delivery models of learning content took place between May and August 2022, and saw 22 of our In-Home Service Assistants completing either a single online learning module or a use web-based app-style learning platform. Both approaches delivered the same learning content on ‘Recognising and responding to deterioration’.
Participants also completed pre- and post-trial surveys of learning preferences and experiences. Now that the trial and data collection have been completed, the project team will analyse the data to understand the learning needs of community aged care workers and gauge whether a micro-learning approach has potential to meet individual and organisational learning needs.
Advance care planning in retirement living
Advance care planning (ACP) involves thinking about and documenting our preferences for future health care, should we temporarily or permanently lose decision-making capabilities. Although ACP has been shown to benefit individuals, relatives and health professionals, its take-up is low.
The aim of this project was to understand the factors that influence the adoption of ACP in a retirement living setting. Viewed along a continuum of care, a retirement village is an appropriate point at which to inform and support the ACP process, particularly for providers like Benetas, who offer incremental support in response to changing client needs. Fourteen residents and six staff from Dalkeith Heights participated in the project, which was conducted in mid-2022.
Three main themes from the data related to the reasons for doing ACP, the ACP process and the role of service providers in facilitating ACP. Our findings confirmed that early adoption of ACP improves outcomes for individuals, families and health services. These findings add to the relatively limited literature on ACP in this setting and can be used to inform the development of strategies and resources to support residents in the ACP process. In so doing, they support best practice for facilitating ACP across care settings.
Smoothing the transition into residential care
The aim of this project was to facilitate the transition from home into residential care, with a focus on supporting new residents’ mental health. By describing transition experiences and co-developing resources to support residents’ mental health, findings of this study provide practical, ‘real world’ suggestions for reducing relocation stress. New resources developed from the findings include guides, checklists and short question-and-answer films, in which current residents and staff describe strategies to support mental health and overall quality of life. The project was made possible with a grant from The Psyche Foundation.
Read more about the project and watch the films produced with and by residents.
Quality of life
Quality of life is a complex concept that is difficult to quantify. In the Quality of Life Project, we’ve been working to identify and trial suitable measures of quality of life across our business areas. We conducted comprehensive reviews of the literature and best practice, and consulted with clients and employees in our community, residential and retirement services. We continue to work on ways to understand and measure quality of life outcomes, including in people living with cognitive impairment. This evidence informs our efforts to embed innovative practice that enables us to deliver a positive, fulfilling experience of ageing.
Best Life Model of Care Research
Our Best Life Model of Care aims to provide a more holistic and home-like residential aged care experience than traditional models of care. A comprehensive evaluation of the new model, conducted by the Research team, has been used to inform continued refinement and implementation, and to contribute to the evidence base for best practice residential aged care.
Increasing intake of Calcium and Vitamin D
This project looked at increasing the calcium and vitamin D intake of older people through an enhanced dairy menu. Led by the University of Melbourne and Austin Health, and funded by the Dairy Australia and an international dairy farmers’ consortium, Benetas was one of a number of aged care providers who participated. The findings informed better practice in nutrition requirements in aged care facilities in Australia.
Frailty in community dwelling older people
This project, was funded by a 2015-2017 Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health. It aimed to validate and implement a simple self-completed tool that can accurately identify frailty. This means that older people who are at risk of increased dependency and/or mortality can be identified and provided with appropriate services to keep them well.
The project found that almost half of older Australians living in the community are frail (6%) or pre-frail (38%).
The project also validated the FRAIL Tool as a simple and reliable screening test which can be used in a variety of settings including telephone triage and general practice.
Part of the Frailty project is PARC: The Positive Ageing Resource Centre, which is now no longer accessible.
This offers a one-stop shop for people seeking support around frailty and health. The resource has been developed by Benetas with research support from Monash University.
At the launch of PARC, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said that providing opportunities for older people, and their carers, to self-manage their health and wellbeing in particular around Frailty was important to achieving positive health outcomes. “We want to ensure older people and their carers, wherever they live, have access to the supports and information they need to maintain their quality of life as they age,” Minister Wyatt said. “By providing practical and individualised tools such as PARC, we’re making sure that Frailty, and its serious consequences, can be identified and mitigated in older people.”
Download the final report (abridged version)
In 2019, Benetas launched the Positive Ageing Tool, which builds on the research and findings, and provides a simple Frailty health check, and a range of advice for people to understand their health check results.
Shared Connections
This project was funded by Perpetual Trust (2014). This project trialled volunteers as mentors to assist older people at risk of social isolation to reconnect with their community through involvement in interest groups. The outcomes have informed social isolation initiatives at Benetas in the community setting.
Better Health Connections
This project was funded by Department of Social Services (2013-2015), and was led by Benetas in partnership with Bayside Medicare Local. The project aimed to improve health and aged care pathways to optimise care for aged care recipients who are moving between sub-acute health and aged care services. The project identified barriers to access and developed tools and strategies to overcome these. Several academic journal articles have been published, including:
Davis J, Morgans A, Burgess S. (2016). Information management for aged care provision in Australia: development of an aged care minimum dataset and strategies to improve quality and continuity of care. Health Information Management Journal 45(1):27-35.
Davis J, Morgans A, Burgess S. (2016). Information management in the Australian aged care setting: An integrative review. Health Information Management Journal 46(1): 3-14.