How do we improve care for older people?

The failings of Australia’s aged care system have been laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic and much has been said and written about how it can – and must – be improved. Recorded pre-COVID-19 this episode of Healing Health discusses Alison’s research into partnership-centred care and how it offers a positive way forward in how we care for our elderly and better value aged-care staff.

“Partnership-centred care in the context of aged care puts the older person at the centre of the care-planning process, with family members and staff working together to support the older person to ensure their needs and preferences are met,” Alison says.

Alfred Deakin Professor Alison Hutchinson is Chair in Nursing and Director of the Centre for Nursing Research – Deakin University and Monash Health Partnership and Co-Director of the Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) in Deakin’s Institute for Health Transformation. As one of Australia’s leading Nursing Professors, Alison’s research centres on how research is translated to improve care within hospitals, aged care facilities, other health providers and within homes.

 She has a particular interest in how organisational structure and interdisciplinary interaction influence the uptake of research findings by health professionals and has developed a short online course to support those caring for older family members, and another for new parents on infant nutrition. She was also lead educator for Caring for Older People: a Partnership Model, which recognised that looking after an older person can be a challenging experience for family members, friends, care staff and health professionals alike.

In July 2021, Alison was inducted into the Sigma Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.