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Resiliency in old age

Year:
2023
Duration:
18 months
Approved budget:
$29,700.00
Researchers:
Professor Matthew Parsons
,
Dr Cameron Walker
,
Associate Professor Michael O'Sullivan
,
Dr Abtin Ijadi Maghsoodi
,
Miss Rangi Harrison
,
Professor John Parsons
,
Mrs Melody-Rose Mitchell
,
Honourable Professor Jan Adams
,
Mr John Hiaka
,
Dr Toya Shaw
,
Mr Stefan Heinz
,
Miss Sikva Javaid
Host:
University of Waikato
Proposal type:
Health Delivery Research Activation Grant
Lay summary
Life expectancy in Aotearoa-NZ continues to rise; however, health expectancy has not increased at the same rate and most older people have multiple long-term conditions that place a burden on them, their family/whānau and health system. Challenges associated with the delivery of healthcare to this ageing multi-morbid population will continue to increase. One such challenge is frailty, a complex morbidity-related phenomenon that increases vulnerability to stressors. To date, frailty scales have employed a deficit-based approach, which forces clinicians to focus on what is going wrong instead of what can go right in an older person’s life. This research programme aims to develop a resiliency-based score for older people living at home. The scale will be pre-populated from both primary and secondary care data and provide approaches to build functional capacity and wellbeing. This activation grant tests the ability to match data from primary and secondary care to develop the scale.