Managing money and property in older age- Qld and NSW survey
A team of researchers in the School of Social Work & Human Services at The University of Queensland is conducting research about how residents in aged care facilities are assisted to manage their assets and valuable possessions.
Associate Professor Cheryl Tilse and Professor Jill Wilson have a well established record of research in aged care, and have already conducted a number of projects in related areas of substitute decision making and financial abuse.
Their current project, titled Managing Older People’s Financial Assets in Aged Care Facilities: The Intersection of Legal and Care Requirements and Financial Management Practices is funded by the Australian Research Council, in association with Blue Care, Tricare and the Office of the Adult Guardian in Queensland.
The study has been cleared by The University of Queensland’s Human Ethics Committee in accordance with National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines.
It is generally agreed that for aged care facilities this is a complex and risk laden area with a range of competing obligations, but as yet, there has been no systematic study of the issues.
The aim of this research is to identify policies and practices in helping residents of aged care facilities access their money and property and the concerns that arise for staff, residents and families in doing so.
Findings will be used to inform the development of consistent guidelines for sound asset management practices by staff, residents and families and other agencies that interact with residential aged care facilities.
The research team is about to conduct a survey of 100 senior care managers and 100 business managers and finance officers in a sample of facilities in Queensland and New South Wales.
The survey is based on key issues and questions identified during detailed interviews with staff, residents and family members in four facilities. The survey will take 20-30 minutes to complete.
For further information about the research, please contact Associate Professor Tilse on (07) 3365 3341 or email her at c.tilse@uq.edu.au.
