ACU professor snares health and ageing grant

Dr Fran McInerney, Associate Professor in Aged Care at ACU’s Melbourne Campus, will share in a collaborative research grant of $537,000 for a research project on dementia.

Dr Fran McInerney

The grant was awarded to Dr McInerney and colleagues from the Menzies Research Institute at the University of Tasmania by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) for 2010-2011.

Dr McInerney said the Dementia Care Dialogues research project will enhance the provision of palliative care for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities and their families.

“The project is aimed at improving communication between staff who provide care for people with dementia and their family members, who are vital links in decision making and care planning,” she said.

“The grant will enable us to enhance the capacity of the residential sector in this area of growing importance. The recognition that dementia is a terminal condition giving rise to multiple needs and challenges is critical at this time.”

Dr McInerney also acknowledged the strength of the collaborators behind the project.