Faculty of Medicine and Health

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Ageing and Health Research Group

Enabling older people to participate in life
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We develop better ways to enhance health, independence, wellbeing and community participation of older Australians and implement these into practice.

About us

The Ageing & Health Research Group is a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in sociology, psychology, neuropsychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, biostatistics and policy.

We work closely with a variety of stakeholders including consumers, advocacy groups, health care, disability care and aged care providers and government. We apply our expertise to solving challenges and maximising opportunities that arise through population ageing.

Title : $12 million

Description : Awarded in research funding and grants since 2020

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Title : 400+

Description : Peer-reviewed papers published since 2020

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Title : Vice Chancellor's Award

Description : Awarded to Associate Professor Lynette McKenzie for outstanding teaching and research

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Our research

We work to translate this knowledge into effective practice and policy for service agencies, consumer groups, government and older people. Our research priorities are:

  • Policy and aged care
    We have been conducting research on older workers to which has informed national and global socioeconomic policies. We also undertake policy-relevant aged care and health services research.
  • Safety and community participation
    Participation and meaningful engagement in everyday life is strongly associated with wellbeing.  Our work also makes sure the environment more optimally supports the person participation and safety. We conduct evaluation research, validate assessments and develop interventions to enable prevention with a strong focus on fall prevention.
  • Dementia
    Our research helps us understand the experiences of people with dementia and their families and the health and aged care professionals who look after them. We also develop, test, and implement non-pharmacological programs to improve the quality of life and other outcomes for people with dementia.
  • Technology in everyday life
    We are exploring the older adult’s use of technology to help in everyday life so that they can continue to live at home.
  • Impact of environmental stressors on ageing
    Older people less able to cope with environmental stressors such as extreme weather and natural disasters because of physiological changes, cognitive impairment, less mobility and social isolation. We are developing interventions that adapt and ameliorate the impact of environmental stressors on older people.

  • Occupational therapy interventions for people with dementia: Expanding the applicable evidence,  Day S, Wesson, J, Ghmed LM, & Laver KE. Occupational therapy Australia Research Foundation, 2025-2026.
  • An Integrated Safe Mobilisation Program in Rehabilitation to Improve Functional Mobility and Reduce Fall Risks in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment and Decreased Mobility: A Pilot Study. FMH New Academic Staff Funding. Dr Weihong Zhang, Dr Jacqueline Wesson, A/Prof Natalie Allen, Dr Helen Badge (ACU), Prof Lee-Fay Low.
  • Healthy Mind, Healthy Body Program: A Pilot Study. Dr Weihong Zhang, Dr Nicholas Mills (SVH/UNSW), Dr Anita Nitchingham (POWH/UNSW), Marcelle Segal (WJH), Sarah Courtenay(WJH), Simone Launt-Peters (WJH).
  • Development of a fully immersive virtual reality shopping tool for assessment and training of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). USYD Proof-of-Concept Funding. Dr Weihong Zhang, Dr Sophie Brassel, Dr Naaz Shaikh, Prof Lynette Mackenzie, FMH Media Lab.
  • Exploring the current implementation of falls prevention programs and identifying the need for developing tailored programs for older adults with cognitive impairment. Dr Weihong Zhang, Dr Morag Taylor (UNSW), Dr Sally Day, Dr Rik Dawson, Prof Anne Tiedemann, Prof Lynette Mackenzie.
  • Functional cognition screening to detect subtle functional difficulties in everyday activities in older adults: which tool is fit for purpose? Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Dr Stuart and Bonnie Bartle Project Grant. Dr Jacqueline Wesson, Dr Katya Numbers (UNSW), Scientia Associate Professor Simone Reppermund (UNSW), Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty (UNSW).
  • Exploring Behaviour Support in Residential Aged Care: Are they positive practices and processes? FMH New Academic Start-Up Grant. Dr Jacqueline Wesson, Dr Kylie Wales (ACU), Dr Meredith Gresham (UOW), Dr Jennie Hewitt (USYD), Theresa Flavin (DAI), Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty (UNSW).
  • Reducing medication-related harm in people living with dementia through community action: Development and testing of novel co-designed medication management resources across care settings. MRFF Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant. Dr Mouna Sawan (USYD), Dr Karen Watson (USDY), Dr Jacqueline Wesson, Dr Amanda Cross (Monash), Dr Natali Jokanovic (Monash)
  • Validation of the Leisure and Enjoyable Activities Profile (LEAP) - a revised Pleasant Events Schedule for People Living with Dementia in Residential Care. Dr Jacqueline Wesson, Professor Elspeth Froude (ACU) and Dr Helen Badge (ACU)
  • Development, validation and implementation of a computerised tool to assess instrumental activities of daily living (C-STAM) MRFF Dementia Ageing & Aged Care Grant. Project Lead: Associate Professor Simone Reppermund (UNSW)
  • A community based participatory approach to decreasing dementia stigma and increasing help-seeking, Low L, Phillipson L, Ji C, Brodaty H, Jeon Y, Naismith S, Naganathan V, Gresham M, Taibi M, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)/Targeted Call for Research: Cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity in dementia research 2022
  • A new tool to optimise the early and accurate diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, Irish M, Foxe D, Jeon Y, Velakoulis D, Velakoulis D, Robinson G, Whitton A, Kumfor F, Low L, Piguet O, Ahmed R, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission - 2022 Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Grant
  • Nurse-Led Improvements to the Quality and Safety of Residential Aged Care - Project HIRAID-Aged Care, Shaban R, Curtis K, Fry M, McCormack B, Parker D, Murgo M, Lam M, Low L, Jeon Y, Lindley R, Waters D, Watson K, Dunsmore M, Fry M, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF CRI 2022 Clinician Researchers: Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health
  • Evaluation of primary care and help-seeking promotion programs to increase dementia diagnosis and early treatment, Low L, Phillipson L, Laranjo L, Yates M, Laver K, Tan E, Cations M, Comans T, Brodaty H, Gresham M, Pond D, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/2021 MRFF Dementia Ageing and Aged Care Mission

Community engagement

  • The Care of Older Persons in their Environment (COPE) program
    This program is a structured occupational therapy and nursing intervention for people with dementia and their caregivers living at home that is designed to assist people with dementia and their carers to independently manage everyday activities. Visit our website to find details on training opportunities and research papers.
  • Gold Soul Companionship program
    This is an intergenerational program at Scalabrini Bexley where Health Sciences students share a home with older adults.
  • Facing Dementia Together
    Facing Dementia Together is a program that provides community information and education around recognising signs of dementia. It includes information in English, Simple and Traditional Chinese, Arabic and Vietnamese.
  • Forward with Dementia
    Forward with Dementia provides information for people recently diagnosed with dementia, their carers and clinicians who support them.

Our people

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Contact us

Email
lee-fay.low@sydney.edu.au

Mailing address
Susan Wakil Health Building (D18)
University of Sydney
NSW, 2006