Award-winning mental health initiative Talking Mental Health will be scaled up thanks to a $5 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant recognising the strength, impact and significance of its potential health outcomes for older Australians.
Aged care provider Uniting AgeWell, in partnership with Flinders University and the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) and other eminent researchers, people with lived and living experience, universities and hospitals, has been selected for this highly competitive funding. This success reflects the project's strong evidence base, deep sector partnerships and alignment with national aged care reform.
As part of the research team, Professor Tim Windsor will help implement the program at scale across metropolitan and regional services, strengthening workforce capability and resilience, embedding mental health into everyday care practice, and generating robust evidence on effectiveness, sustainability and cost benefit.
Professor Windsor said its vital that research continues to improve services focused on supporting older people's physical and cognitive health.
"This project takes an important step in explicitly recognising that customers of aged care and the staff who provide services are all part of a system working together," said Professor Windsor.
"At Flinders, we are excited to be working on the aspects of the project focusing on the mental health of the aged care workforce, recognising that engaged, motivated staff are likely to provide better care, be happier at work, and remain in an industry currently experiencing workforce shortages."
The Chief Investigator of the study, Associate Professor Anita Goh said older Australians want and deserve to stay connected, supported and well as they age at home.
"Ageing at home should strengthen wellbeing, including mental health. This program recognises mental health as a core component of quality aged care and equips the workforce to provide that support, while also acknowledging and supporting their own wellbeing."
Uniting AgeWell Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Kinnersly said the selection for a Medical Research Future Fund grant is a strong endorsement of co-designing solutions with older people at the centre.
"As more older Australians choose to live at home, Talking Mental Health demonstrates our commitment to address emerging wellbeing challenges with a model that can inform and strengthen our entire sector," said Kinnersly.
Uniting AgeWell Director Strategy and Innovation and NARI Honorary Fellow Nina Bowes said this MRFF investment enables the team to scale an award-winning model, building the evidence needed to strengthen practice, inform policy and drive lasting change across the aged care system.
About Talking Mental Health
Led by the National Ageing Research Institute, Uniting AgeWell and Flinders University, the MRFF project brings together a nationally significant consortium including The University of Melbourne, Macquarie University, Austin Health, Mental Health First Aid International and Converge International, alongside community advisors with lived and living experience and leading independent experts in mental health, workforce and health systems research.
