A Focus on Frailty

As increasing frailty is recognised as a key contributor to declining health, Resthaven and the University of Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care Centre (GTRAC) are undertaking a collaborative research project that aims to improve the health of aged care residents by investigating how their health status changes over time.

Titled Improving the health of aged care residents: Frailty in residential service over time - the ‘FIRST Study’ commenced in March 2019 and aims to validate a new frailty screening tool, the FRAIL AC.  

Resthaven Senior Manager Clinical Services, Leonie Robson, says, "This tool was developed specifically for use in residential aged care."

"The research will also explore the relationship between frailty progression, residents’ use of life space and their perspectives on quality of care."

"It will also enable collection of important health data that will better determine the prevalence and progression of frailty, associated health outcomes and health care costs."

"We are currently liaising with residents who would like to voluntarily participate in the study from across all twelve Resthaven residential aged care homes. The data collection phase is anticipated to be completed by December 2020."

"Participants will be asked to answer detailed questions about their current health, with the support of an experienced nurse. The survey will be repeated in around a year."

"All personal information will remain confidential."

"We are excited to undertake this important research to support the wellbeing of older people."

"This is a great example of aged care, academic and health services collaborating together," says Professor Renuka Visvanathan from the University of Adelaide, who is the also the Director of Geriatric Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Project Lead to the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing.

"This research will generate new evidence and build capacity for the future by supporting the training of research nurses, PhD and post-doctoral candidates."

Resthaven residential aged care homes are located at Aberfoyle Park, Bellevue Heights, Craigmore, Leabrook, Malvern, Marion, Mitcham, Murray Bridge, Mount Gambier, Paradise, Port Elliot and Westbourne Park. Resthaven also supports older people to live independently in their own homes throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Fleurieu, Barossa, Riverland and Limestone Coast of South Australia.

Pictured: Leonie Robson (Senior Manager Clinical Services), Terry Short (Clinical Services Coordinator), Tina Cooper (Executive Manager Residential Services), Vicky Foy (Clinical Nurse), Prof Renuka Visvanathan (University of Adelaide), Dr Agathe Jadczak (University of Adelaide) and Jean Zhang (Clinical Nurse).