Dr Stephanie Champion
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
ITP Facilitator, ARIIA
ARIIA’s Innovator Training Program (ITP) allows individuals and teams working in aged care across Australia to design and pitch sustainable, evidence-based solutions to challenges and opportunities for improvements they have identified in their organisation.
In August 2023, ARIIA held the first three themed training programs focused on building reablement capabilities in the aged-care workforce.
To support the implementation of projects with evidence-based solutions, ARIIA has developed specialised resources for the Innovators (participants) in the themed rounds, but they are freely available to anyone in the sector. We have had high engagement with the ITP pages and downloadable content since the launch of the reablement theme, with over 700 views across the reablement evidence pages. These resources have been essential for this topic, helping the audience distil the key information; as in the words of one of our Innovators, “There's a lot of confusing evidence out there". The Innovators also benefited from the expertise of guest Facilitator Dr. Claire Gough, a physio and researcher who works for ARIIA.
Using resources and evidence collated by the Knowledge and Implementation Hub (KIH), Innovators have uncovered the underlying issues that contribute to the limited success of current reablement programs in their organisation.
All Innovators recognised that aged care staff lacked consensus on what reablement activities could look like, which was a key barrier to implementing successful reablement programs. As a result, the Innovators acknowledged that the first step of any implementation project would be to get everyone on the same page regarding the scope and opportunities of reablement solutions.
The Innovator's project plans have included a wide array of reablement solutions that involve working with older people to identify goals and opportunities to access reablement services to enable them to age in place comfortably. Some of the projects are built on existing programs, and others introduce new service options for older people. Each project incorporates strong co-design elements, as Innovators realise the importance of involving consumers and the local staff in delivering care in the planning process.
Through the ITP, ARIIA aims to support the creation of practical reablement projects and enhance Innovators' skills in evidence searching, project planning, and management for future projects. We hope through these projects; Innovators will demonstrate to their organisation the transformative power of the ITP, the staff's passion and the opportunities for innovation in the reablement space.
*The views and opinions expressed in Knowledge Blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of ARIIA, Flinders University and/or the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.