Acting Dean of Health Sciences, Professor Hal Swerissen, said demand for health and aged care services will increase dramatically as the population aged.
‘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 in 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 yesterday 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, ensuring the recruitment and training of relevant professionals to deliver the right mix of services.
The initiative is named after John Richards, 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.
Friday, 18 May 2007 Probing the special needs of ageing in the country A new $1.5 million 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.