RESEARCH ENABLED AGED CARE HOME
About REACHInspired by the Enabling Research in Care Homes initiatives – ENRICH, the REACH Network aims to help people with an interest in research in aged care homes in Australia to:
Connect
Access
Use
Engage
Although the initial focus of the REACH Network is about how rehabilitation approaches to care of people living with mild cognitive impairment and dementia can be used to maintain their independence, function and quality of life, our aspiration is to build a community of practice that brings residents, their families, researchers and others together to support and disseminate research about aged care more broadly.
The REACH Network has been initiated as part of the Interdisciplinary Care Home based Reablement Program (I-CHARP) study. The study, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), aims to implement and evaluate an evidence based reablement model of care for older people living with mild cognitive impairment and mild- moderate dementia in residential aged care homes.
The I-CHARP model of care supports residents in aged care homes to receive an individually tailored, evidence- based program to enable them to maintain functional independence for as long as possible. The REACH Network is essential to trial and embed evidence-based programs such as the I-CHARP in aged care homes.
The principles of reablement in dementia have been trialled previously in Australia in community trial “Interdisciplinary Home bAsed Reablement Program” (I-HARP).