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Aim: To explore the experiences of residents, families and staff in the establishment of a new small‐scale home model of care for people living with dementia. Background: New and innovative small‐scale models of care have the potential to improve outcomes for older people, especially those with dementia, who experience high rates of cognitive impairment in traditional residential aged care homes in Australia. Design: A qualitative descriptive study. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews with 14 guests, family and staff of a new small‐scale dementia home named 'Kambera House' in the Australian Capital Territory were conducted between July 2021 when the home opened and August 2022. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and reported according to the COREQ guidelines. Results: Two guests with mild‐to‐moderate dementia, five family and seven staff members participated in the study. The data revealed high satisfaction with Kambera House, generating five themes. Falls detection technology in the home provided a sense of safety, enabling more time for person‐centred care. Free, everyday technology connected the home with families as part of an overall community of care where staff were empowered to maximize choice and dignity of risk of guests living in the home. This contributed to the sense of community, rather than an institution, where the conditions of work supported the conditions of care, and were embedded in a culture of responsiveness, change and flexibility. Conclusion: Kambera House represents a successful example of a new small‐scale dementia home. Technology played an important background role in improving overall safety and flexibility as part of a model of care which demonstrated positive experiences for guests and families by being responsive to their individual needs. Impacts: Small‐scale homes for people with dementia offer an alternative model that may provide more individualized, person‐centred care compared with the traditional institutionalized care. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for integrated and effective postdiagnostic rehabilitation programs for community-dwelling people with dementia and their carers to promote their quality of life and management of dementia. Here, we report on preliminary findings of the Sustainable Personalised Interventions for Cognition, Care, and Engagement (SPICE) Program conducted in Canberra, Australia. Over twelve weeks, six people with dementia and their carers completed five hours of weekly small group activities and separate individual appointments. SPICE is an active therapeutic intervention with five components delivered by allied health professionals: (1) cognitive stimulation therapy; (2) carer education, support, and capacity building; (3) physical activity; (4) Care Of People with dementia in their Environments (COPE) program; and (5) dietary assessment and advice. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-intervention and a program evaluation interview which was analysed by qualitative thematic analysis. The program demonstrated high program satisfaction ratings and program adherence (94% people with dementia and 92% carers) which supports intervention feasibility. The results of quantitative outcome measures suggest positive effects, but inferences cannot be drawn due to small sample size. Qualitative themes from participant experiences highlighted the following: (1) social connection, engagement, and interaction were key drivers of the success of the program; (2) clinicians fostered a positive and respectful culture; (3) carers were supported with strategies and skills to reframe dementia; and (4) reablement can be fun. The new combination of evidence-based interventions was feasible and considered valuable. Further results are required to confirm these findings and support a longer-term trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Collaborating with consumers in designing, delivering, and evaluating curricula is an ongoing initiative within occupational therapy tertiary courses in Australia. Within the Australian educational context, consumers are involved in on‐campus educational activities. Student occupational therapists must complete 1000 hours of practice placements as part of their education. To date, no research has explored how consumers could contribute to student occupational therapists' learning during practice placements. This study aimed to explore Australian occupational therapists' perceptions of consumers providing feedback to students during practice placements. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was adopted to engage with the diversity of practice contexts and gain a rich dataset from the occupational therapy profession. A qualitative questionnaire was developed and distributed using snowballing techniques. The questionnaire asked recipients to reflect on the risks, challenges, and benefits of consumers providing feedback to student occupational therapists from all stakeholders' perspectives. Demographic data were collated, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to construct themes. Findings: Responses were received from 81 participants. Most respondents identified as experienced occupational therapists from metropolitan locations across Australia. Reflective thematic analysis was used to construct three themes: Personal capability of consumers and students will enable, inhibit, and be developed by engaging in a feedback process; an educator‐controlled process to ensure safety for all stakeholders is required for time‐poor practice contexts; and us versus them: Shifting control to consumers can disempower practice educators. Conclusion: Engaging with consumers throughout all aspects of student occupational therapists' educational programme is required, including practice placements. New educational initiatives need to consider all stakeholders' concerns to ensure that authentic contribution from consumers is made within the various practice contexts. A co‐design approach that involves all stakeholders to develop a feedback process may result in high‐quality learning experiences that assist students to become safer, consumer‐centred health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When older adults' driving abilities decline, automated driving technologies may improve community mobility, engagement, and independence. Most previous research has focused on older persons' attitudes rather than their use of automated driving technologies. This study examined older Australians' perceptions and experience of automated vehicle technologies before, during, and after a real-life driving experience, focusing on ease of use, usefulness, safety, acceptance, trust, and confidence. This mixed-methods study included observation of a 6-km test drive using a partially automated vehicle, pre- and post-drive questionnaires, and a post-drive semi-structured interview. Most participants reported positive perceptions and experiences before, during, and after the test drive. Visual analysis of pre/postresponses revealed divergent reactions to the test drive, consistent with the heterogeneity of the older population. Automated driving technologies have potential to contribute to mobility at older ages. Larger-scale studies including actual driving experiences are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of existing public spaces by people living with dementia, such as museums and art galleries, are becoming popular due to their ability to facilitate programs which promote social engagement and inclusion. However, few studies have investigated physiological outcomes of art gallery-based programs. Using a quasi-experimental design, the present study aimed to investigate the levels of salivary biomarkers of cortisol and interleukin-6, quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms, cognition, and wellbeing, after attending the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Art and Dementia program. Twenty-eight people living with dementia, each supported by a carer or family member, were recruited for a six-week program and were followed up at twelve weeks. In total, 25 participants (17 female; mean age 84.6±7.27 years) completed the study, and 22 provided viable saliva samples. The waking to evening salivary cortisol ratio was higher post-intervention (p = 0.033), and returned to baseline levels at follow-up (p = 1.00), indicating a more dynamic salivary cortisol rhythm in response to the six-week program. Interleukin-6 levels remained unchanged (p = 0.664). No improvements in QoL (DEMQOL-Carer) were observed between baseline and post-intervention (p = 0.076). However, self-reported depressive symptoms decreased post-intervention compared with baseline (p = 0.015), and memory (immediate recall) (p = 0.009) and verbal fluency (p = 0.027) improved between the same timepoints. The NGA Art and Dementia program appears to have quantifiable benefits, including improved hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, justifying a need for longer controlled trial inclusive of physiological outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The call for occupational therapists to embrace occupation-based practice has increased in recent decades. Little is known about how occupational therapists perceive and implement occupation-based practice. This study aims to uncover the experiences of new and recent graduates using occupation in their practice. Method: A phenomenological design guided the development of semi-structured interviews. New and recent Australian occupational therapy graduates were interviewed about their experiences of occupation in their practice. Interview transcripts formed the data and themes were developed by thematic analysis. Findings: Eighteen occupational therapists were interviewed. Three main themes emerged from the data. Overall, graduates found it challenging to embrace occupation in their everyday practice, deciding it is more pressing to remediate impairments than to enable occupations. Some participants stated that occupation-based practice was unrealistic given the efficiency pressures of their practice environments. However, graduates felt that with more experience they would be able to implement occupation in their daily practice. Conclusion: Recently graduated occupational therapists in Australia find it challenging to consistently implement occupation in their daily practice. Confidence to apply occupation-based skills is an important factor for implementing occupation in practice. Some recent graduates are choosing impairment-based techniques over occupation-based practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Occupation and an occupational perspective of health and wellbeing are required to be taught in accredited occupational therapy programmes internationally. Current research into occupational therapy education has commonly focused on curriculum design and the experience of students and their developing skills for practice. Little research has focused on the perspectives of educators and in particular their own reflections and beliefs on the use of occupation in occupational therapy education. The aim of this study was to uncover Australian educator perspectives of occupation in occupational therapy education. Method: This study utilised a qualitative research framework. Eight occupational therapy educators and practice education coordinators completed semi‐structured interviews. Educators ranged in experience from two to over 20 years in the university sector. The interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim, forming the data for analysis. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis was used to analyse the dataset. Results: Three themes emerged from the data: occupation is our framework; the balance between practice education and occupation‐centred education; and educators changing the focus. Overall, educators believed that the 'occupation for health' philosophy and its application are important foundations for education. However, educators provided varied responses on how to teach these concepts to students. Conclusion: Gaining educators' opinions on the importance of occupation in education is beneficial for ensuring consistency throughout occupational therapy curricula. Theoretical models were endorsed by educators to foster occupation‐based practice. Educators must continue to innovate within the profession for occupation‐based approaches in practice and education to be strengthened in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]