Bulletin

Issue: May/June 2007

News

Probing special needs of aging in the country

A new $1.5 milion research initiative on aged care in country Victoria has been set up on La Trobe University’s Albury-Wodonga campus. It involves a private benefactor, the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, and the State Government.

Acting Dean of Health Sciences, Professor Hal Swerissen, said demand for health and aged care services will increase dramatically as the population ages.

‘Rural and regional communities face unique challenges in delivering high quality services in response to these demands. This project builds on our existing research expertise in social gerontology and aged care to address important community health issues.’

It will also establish a leading rural centre for honours and postgraduate research training for the rural aged care workforce and health delivery initiatives, and raise additional research funds for this purpose from other sources, he said.

Known as the ‘John Richards Research Initiative into Aged Care in Rural Communities’, it was launched in May by Community Services Minister, Mr Gavin Jennings.

Mr Jennings said that by 2021, nearly one in three people living in country Victoria will be 60 years old or over. The initiative will focus on what the aged care workforce in regional Victoria should look like in the future, and map out what is required to deliver that workforce.

‘With demand for services increasing dramatically we need to make sure we recruit and train the right kinds of professionals to deliver the right mix of services,’ Mr Jennings said. ‘A dedicated research team based at La Trobe University will start research on the best way of achieving this.’

The initiative is named after John Richards, above, a former jackaroo, soldier, farmer, Victorian newsagency association executive and inaugural president of the Yarrawonga District Hospital board of management. His financial contribution has been matched by funds from the State Government and La Trobe University, a total of $1.5 million over five years.