Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

Heart to HART- Building a good life for older adults in the Torres Strait (#82)

Edward Strivens 1
  1. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns, QLD, Australia

HART is a team of clinician researchers based in Cairns and the Torres Strait who have delivering clinical services for older persons living in the Torres Strait region for over 25-years. During their work, local residents identified a need to enhance their knowledge about problems relating to ageing within their communities. In response, HART collaborated with the Post-Acute, Rehabilitation and Aged Care Service on Thursday Island and Torres Strait Primary Health Care Centres to conduct a prevalence study of dementia and ageing-related conditions within the region between 2015-2018. Community responses during feedback on the outcomes of the study were for ongoing collaborations taking a strengths-based approach to develop a comprehension of how to age well. This paper will provide an overview of a range of co-designed projects using Participatory Action Research based on co-design principles and community collaboration that includes yarning with communities and Continuous Quality Improvement activities. These projects aim to address community-identified priorities and include developing appropriate screening tools for social emotional wellbeing, cognitive impairment, and diet and activity (app-based). Other studies are underway to develop interventions for chronic disease using co-design workshops, environmental mapping, and community yarning. Novel ways of sharing the knowledge including using podcasts to disseminate information on ageing well in local communities will also be discussed.