A Most Significant Change evaluation of a new co-designed tool to measure holistic well-being in consumers of community aged care services

Abstract:Objectives: To evaluate a Wellbeing Check-in tool and process for use with BlueCare's home care package (HCP) clients by care and well-being practitioners. The tool had been co-designed with HCP clients and trialled with 15 clients. Methods: The Most Significant Change (MSC) methodology was used to gather stories from five practitioners, five HCP staff and seven clients. A workshop with senior staff was held to determine themes and whether the tool met its aims. Results: Out of 22 MSC stories, 18 were judged in scope by workshop participants. Eight themes were then identified. Four themes reflected the content of the narratives (i.e. what was discussed): Isolation and connection; Grief; Faith/explicit spirituality; and Client preference. The other four themes reflected the process (i.e. what the discussions meant to participants): Being there/Meaningful conversations; Impact on significant others; New insight; and Purpose of the check-in. These eight themes largely reflected the aims of the Wellbeing Check-in tool in terms of providing a means to optimise connectedness, well-being and spiritual care in accordance with the client's needs, goals and preferences. Unanticipated findings included its benefits for family members and uncertainty about the aim or value of the tool, which highlighted the need for BlueCare to be clear about the purpose of the tool in promoting it to clients and their informal carers. Conclusions: The Wellbeing Check-in tool was found to be fit for purpose. A tool used flexibly to prompt discussion about well-being can be helpful to clients and pastoral care staff.</p

AN-ACC training needs: Final report to the Australian Department of Health

The outputs and outcomes of this project were intended to inform the practical considerations required to train and credential an external assessor workforce nationwide. La Trobe University was contracted to:1. Conduct a training needs analysis.2. Develop a strategy for curriculum design and delivery options.3. Evaluate the training provided in the AN-ACC trial.4. Develop a credentialing/competency framework for assessors.5. Develop a clinical governance training framework for assessors and the assessment management organisations in which they work.These five main requirements formed the basis of our project plan and work schedule.</p

Final Report on Training and Testing Services to Support Residential Aged Care Classification Assessments (AN-ACC)

The purpose of this report is to document activities and outcomes of the project Provision of AN-ACC training, undertaken by La Trobe University for the Commonwealth Department of Health from January 2021 to June 2022. Training was provided to Assessors employed by an assessment management organisation (AMO) in face-to-face workshops led Trainers (employed by La Trobe University) and staff members and Peer educators (employed by the Commonwealth Department of Health). Peer educators were Assessors who had previous experience in using the AN-ACC due to having taken part in the Resource Utilisations and Classifications Studies (RUCS) undertaken by the University of Wollongong (Eagar et al., 2019a) or having participated in the AN-ACC trial in 2019-2020.</p

ParkinSong Online: Feasibility of Telehealth Delivery and Remote Data Collection for a Therapeutic Group Singing Study in Parkinson's

Background: Parkinson’s disease can negatively affect vocal functioning and social wellbeing, particularly in the latter stages of disease progression. Face-to-face group singing interventions can improve communication and wellbeing outcomes, yet not all people can access in-person sessions. To help overcome barriers to participation, exploration of the feasibility and utility of online therapeutic singing programs is needed. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week ParkinSong Online intervention on speech and wellbeing for people with Parkinson’s disease. Methods: A total of 28 participants with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease were recruited to a single-arm feasibility study. Weekly 90-minute online sessions were co-facilitated by a music therapist and speech pathologist. Speech and wellbeing assessments were conducted pre and post intervention. Participant and facilitator surveys were administered after each session, with focus group interviews at the end of the program. Results: The recruitment rate was high (90%) with no attrition, adverse events, or safety issues. There was good intervention fidelity, attendance (average 89%), and positive participant experience. Feasibility was good, with technology reported as the main challenge (connecting and navigating Zoom). No improvements were seen in voice measures or wellbeing outcomes in this small trial. The online format used in this study did not provide the same benefits as in-person ParkinSong sessions. Conclusions: ParkinSong Online is feasible for recreational purposes and social engagement provided that people have adequate technological knowledge or support. The optimal online delivery format to achieve communication improvements in Parkinson’s awaits confirmation

Virtual nursing in residential aged care: What is known?

This literature review was conducted to inform the evaluation of the Virtual Nursing in Aged Care project, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, which will be implemented from 2024 to 2027 to optimise clinical care outcomes for older people living in residential aged care.La Trobe University has been contracted to conduct an evaluation of the project. The evaluation plan comprises four stages. As a deliverable resulting from Stage 1 of the project, a rapid literature review was conducted to scope current evidence for virtual nursing care interventions or programs in long-term residential aged care homes (RACHs).</p