To view projects recruiting frrom your region, select "research location" in the drop down list and hit "search". Relevant projects will display on this page [scroll down]. Register your interest in a project by contacting the research team directly.
Contacting a project team does not commit or guarantee participation
The DCRC project database does not record your information or emails
What's it like to be a research volunteer? Some frequently asked questions, and a video on one family's perspective:
The study aims to change perceptions of people within the community, as the consumer voice is encouraged and the realisation that people with dementia can and do have the right to make decisions regarding their future.
The purpose of this study is to develop a substantive theory that describes the experiences of people newly diagnosed with dementia to inform services of the person centred care demands required by this group of older Australians to enhance their quality of life and capacity to remain in the community.
To achieve this, the study aims to provide health professionals and policy makers with greater understanding of the experiences and expectations of people newly diagnosed with dementia, including their perspective of how these will evolve over time.
The objectives of this study are to:
Explore and describe the experiences of people newly diagnosed with dementia.
Identify factors that impact on this experience.
Develop a substantive theory that describes the experiences and expectations of people recently diagnosed with dementia.
Set findings of the study within context of existing literature.
Project Methods
The researcher who will collect the data is a registered nurse who has over ten years' experience in working with people with dementia.
Data will be collected from people with dementia (and family carers if decided) in a relaxed environment via semi structured interviews. All interviews will be conducted in an environment chosen by the participant.
Information sheets about the study will be given to people with dementia (and family carers if they are interviewed).
Separate information sheets have been created for family carers who will not be asked to be interviewed.
Interviews will be audio recorded in digital format. In addition field notes will be taken. At the commencement of the interview demographic information will be collected.
Would you like to be part of an LGBTIQ dementia research project?
The Dementia Collaborative Research Centre at UNSW are developing an eLearning resource to inform the dementia care workforce of the additional considerations around the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) people with dementia and their carers.
Project Methods
Participation Commitment
We are looking for input from consumers who identify as LGBTIQ about their experiences of dealing with the behaviours that may arise during dementia and the aged care system. We want to make sure our work reflects your needs and experiences. You can help us even if you don't live in Sydney.
Other Information
If you would like to know more please contact Kim Burns.
Dr Alexandra Young |Sydney Nursing School ph 91144084 | email: alexandra.young@sydney.edu.au
Project Aims
This study will investigate a novel bio-environmental program called CAPABLE-C, aimed at improving self-care ability, mobility, medication management, pain, cognition, and depression.
It is an international collaboration led by Prof Yun-Hee Jeon involving researchers from the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and Johns Hopkins University.
Project Methods
CAPABLE-C integrates proven strategies into a comprehensive, person-centered, home-based intervention with a goal to enhance functioning.
Participation Commitment
To be eligible for this study you must meet all of the following criteria:
Be aged 65 years or over
Have early stage (mild) dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
Have difficulty with one or more activities of daily living and/or two or more instrumental activities of daily living
Be a pensioner
Be able to stand with or without assistance
Live within 25km of Sydney CBD
Have conversational English
Have a caregiver who lives with the client, or has at least four days or 7 hours per week contact with the client
Other Information
Recruitment: February to June 2015
For more information or if you wish to participate, please contact: Dr Alexandra Young at Sydney Nursing School on 9114 4084 or email alexandra.young@sydney.edu.au
The aim of this study is to understand and explain how Registered Nurses use Advance Care Directives (ACDs) for individuals with dementia living in residential accommodation. The specific objectives are to identify factors which promote and prevent the:
i) introduction of ACDs to individuals with dementia living in residential accommodation.
ii) completion of ACDs by individuals with dementia living in residential accommodation; and
iii) adherence to the directions of ACDs completed by individuals with dementia living in residential accommodation.
Project Methods
An anonymous online survey
Participation Commitment
Participants are invited to complete an online survey about their experiences with Advanced Care Directives.
It is estimated that this survey will take around 10-15 minutes. The survey is anonymous.
Other Information
Study from the University of Wollongong (School of Nursing) seeking nurses who work with persons who have dementia in residential aged care --- This study has been given Human Research Ethics Approval from the University of Wollongong (Approval No. HE14/394)
This project is recruiting health professionals and sites interested in improving their knowledge and skills in behaviour management in dementia.
In-service training and evaluation packages have been developed to support the dissemination of the document: Behaviour Management – A Guide to Good Practice: Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). This BPSD Guide is part of the suite of resources which can be accessed on the Program Resource Page.
The aim of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the in-service packages to increase knowledge of the evidence-based principles of the BPSD Guide. The packages are available to assist appropriately skilled clinicians to deliver training in their workplace.
The in-service packages have been designed to be presented by clinicians experienced in providing care to persons with dementia and the management of BPSD. Each package is consistent with a specific module of the BPSD Guide and includes:
PowerPoint presentation with facilitators’ notes to assist in delivery
Facilitators’ lesson plan
Two versions of participants’ pre and post knowledge questionnaires for nursing/allied health professionals and direct care staff
Facilitators delivering an in-service session will ask participants to complete brief pre and post knowledge and evaluation questionnaires. These questionnaires will be collected at the time of completion and returned via reply-paid envelopes (provided). All responses are anonymous and will not be linked to an individual.
Other Information
Contact Kim Burnsfor packages, including reply-paid envelopes. A report of change in participants’ knowledge, based on the data collected can be provided if this is useful for reporting purposes.
Ethics approval for this evaluation project has been provided by UNSW HREA Panel, Ref: 9_14_043.
Participation requires completion of twosurveys, at two timepoints (about a month apart). The surveys can be done online (via the internet) or over the phone (interview style).
Can anyone take part?
There will be an initial screen for eligibility - this will occur in the first questions of the online survey or during the first phone call.
How long will the survey take?
The first survey will take up to 25 minutes online (40 minutes on the phone)
The second survey will be a bit shorter and take up to 15 minutes online (25 minutes on the phone).
This project will not require participants to have direct face-to-face contact with the research team, or to travel to any specific place.
Are there any risks?
This project is by survey only - it has been reviewed and approved by an ethics committee and is considered to be of low and negligible risk to participants.
Participants may experience mental fatigue whilst completing answering the questions, although breaks as appropriate are encouraged. It is possible that some of the questions asked might also contribute to minor emotional distress.
Does participation involved payment?
No renumeration offered.
This project has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Queensland University of Technology review: QUT HREC Approval No. 1300000654
Other Information
Eligible participants for this project include:
A carer for a person with dementia who has moved into permanent residential care within the last 3 months;
or
A carer for a person with dementia who is on the waiting list for placement into residential care.
Dr Joanna Brooks ph 0428223574 email: Joanna.Brooks@anu.edu.au
Project Aims
The current study, entitled 'the perceived and actual risk of Alzheimer’s disease across the full adult lifespan', is being conducted by researchers at the Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing at the Australian National University.
The purpose of the study is to understand how people perceive their risk of Alzheimer's disease (i.e., low, medium, high) and to explore whether this perception is related to actual risk. We are looking for healthy ageing male and female participants over the age of 18 years.
Project Methods
The main study involves the voluntary completion of an online questionnaire which takes 15-20 minutes in total. You can access the questionnaire by requesting a unique ID code from the researcher, Dr Joanna Brooks (Dementia Collaborative Research Centre Research Fellow)
After completing the online questionnaire, you will immediately receive a written personalised Alzheimer's disease risk profile which you can save, download and print out.
As part of the risk profile we will provide you with suggestions for modifying your risk (if any) and invite you to further discuss your risk with the researcher if you would like to.
Participation Commitment
Participants must be aged over 18 years with access to a computer and the internet since the main study (approximately 20 minutes) is completed online.
Project participation will involve an online questionnaire that will take approximately 15-20 minutes.
Other Information
This project seeking participants from the following areas:
Organisational level (e.g. entire residential aged care facility),
Service Providers or care networks,
Health professionals,
Carers / families of persons with dementia ,
Anybody (e.g. 'at risk' or healthy members of the public)
There is a comprehensive participant information sheet for your perusal – please take the time to read this. Once you have read the participant information sheet, if you are still happy to take part you can contact the researcher for further information.
Dr Adith Mohan (a.mohan@unsw.edu.au) / Donel Martin (tel: 02-9382-9261)
Project Aims
To investigate
1) whether computer-facilitated cognitive training (CFCT) combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will produce greater generalisation effects on non-trained tasks than CFCT alone and
2) whether beneficial effects from CFCT combined with tDCS are maintained over time.
Recent brain stimulation research suggests that mild brain stimulation (i.e., tDCS) when given during performance of a cognitive (memory) task in a single session improves performance. Also patients who have had a stroke learn how to do certain 'hands-on' tasks better when participants receive a course of brain stimulation treatment. There is also research that shows computerised brain training benefits people with memory problems (i.e. MCI or Mild Cognitive Impairment).
This study aims to further extend this research by determining whether mild brain stimulation with tDCS, when combined with computerised brain training can enhance memory and daily functioning, compared with computer brain training alone, in patients with mild memory problems (i.e.MCI).
Project Methods
This study proposes to investigate in a direct comparison, whether mild brain stimulation of the frontal lobes with tDCS combined with computerised brain training improves memory performance compared with computerised brain training alone.
This study is designed to compare two groups of participants directly with one another by comparing their performance on memory tests through the course of the trial. Both groups will have the computer brain training sessions, though only one will have the mild brain stimulation in addition to this. The other group will have 'sham' stimulation. This is to say they will have the electrodes placed on but will not have the actual current delivered like the other group.
Participants will not know which group they have been assigned to, nor will the research team member that assesses their performance on tests. In other words, this study is a 'randomised, double blind, sham-controlled' clinical trial.
Participation Commitment
What is expected of you as a participant?
1) To answer some questions about your health and memory on the telephone.
This is the initial telephone screen
2) To then attend the Prince of Wales hospital, Randwick for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility for the trial. This will take approximately an hour, and is only done once
computer brain training with or without mild brain stimulation and
lasts about 45 mins
4) Not to drive for 4 hours after the first session, and for half an hour after subsequent sessions
5) To return for final follow up 3 months after your last session
Other Information
Recruiting persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment i.e people who experience mild difficulties with their memory but are otherwise functioning well in their day to day activities. You may be eligible participate in this study if you are:
Concerned about your memory
Aged between 60 and 80 years
People with MCI experience mild difficulties with their memory but are otherwise functioning well in their day to day activities. Usually the individual notices that their memory has recently become worse compared to a few years before. They may experience more difficulty remembering names, appointments or where they put something. People with MCI are at increased risk of future dementia
If you are a family carer of a person living with dementia in the community (that is, not in a residential aged care facility) you are invited to take part in a national survey about day centre respite care and your needs.
Day respite providers want to deliver the best care possible, but may lack the relevant dementia-specific attitudes, knowledge, skills, tools and training to be able to do so. This study will provide an essential tool for services to move towards optimal care and providing “a good day out” every day.
Project Methods
Survey online or over the phone
Participation Commitment
Taking part in this study is voluntary.
All information gathered is confidential.
QUT Ethics Approval Number 1500000561.
Other Information
We want to hear your experiences and opinions.
You do not need to have used respite services to take the survey.
The survey can be taken onlineor by telephone and is called “What is ‘A Good Day Out’?- Working Towards Optimal Day Centre Respite Care and Ways to Measure It”.
