Research at Baptcare
Partnering with world class research organisations to ensure we provide best-practice care and support
On this page:
Our research—like everything else at Baptcare—is about building and supporting communities where every person is valued and respected.
As part of that, it’s important we continue to learn and grow.
It’s equally important to have proof we’re always moving in the right direction. This means doing things in the way that best supports the health and wellbeing of every person in our care, their families, and the general community.
By investing in research, we can get that proof. We can turn evidence into action and ensure we provide the best support for people who need it most.
We conduct research to develop evidence-based programs and services in the following areas:
- aged care
- mental health support
- disability support
- family violence
- family and community services.
Our research partners
Baptcare’s research partners include:
- Deakin University
- La Trobe University
- Monash University
- RMIT University
- The University of Melbourne
- The University of Tasmania
- Victoria University
- Whitley College
You can learn more about our research partners.
“Mindset TAS has a longstanding commitment to building the evidence of its programs, through its research partnership with Monash University. As a result of this dedication to research, Mindset programs are now among the most highly evidenced psychosocial programs in Australia, highlighted by an extensive list of prestigious peer-reviewed publications. ”
Melissa Savaglio
Researcher in Residence, Health and Social Care Unit, Monash University
The role of research at Baptcare
A culture of never-ending improvement
Once evidence-based supports and programs are in operation, we work with our research partners to measure and refine the approach. This ensures we continuously improve our services.
To track the ongoing impact of our improvement, we measure outcomes for with the people accessing our services. This measurement framework has been developed by the World Health Organisation.
Global recognition for best-practice support
Baptcare research and papers describing our best-practices in care and community support have appeared in the following top-tier academic journals:
- British Medical Journal Open: a peer-reviewed medical journal that is dedicated to publishing medical research from all disciplines and therapeutic areas.
- Journal of Gerontology: peer-reviewed and published monthly, this journal provides an international forum for information that has clear and immediate applicability to the health, care, and quality of life of older adults.
- American Journal of Medicine: the American Journal of Medicine is a peer-reviewed medical journal and the official journal of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine.
- JAMA Network Open: the mission of JAMA Network Open is to improve health, healthcare, and health equity worldwide through open access dissemination of high-quality, innovative, general medical research and commentary by and for a broad range of clinicians, researchers, policy makers, and public health and health care leaders.
Examples of Baptcare research in action
A more effective Dementia Model of Care: Living Well Together
We are currently involved in a large project to develop an improved Model of Care for people with dementia living in Baptcare Residential Aged Care communities. We call it Living Well Together.
A ‘model of care’ outlines the values, principles and practices for how care is provided. It is designed to ensure the quality, safety and person-centred nature of care for people with dementia in aged care homes.
The Living Well Together model of care is based on leading national and international evidence-based best practice. It will:
- improve quality of life for people living in Residential Aged Care
- increase connection between families
- increase satisfaction for team members and volunteers
- improve dementia care knowledge and practice.
Living Well Together is being developed and rolled out in partnership with:
- Monash University’s Health and Social Care Unit
- residents of our aged care homes and their families
- Baptcare team members and volunteers.
Facilitating significant improvements in adults with a serious mental illness
Our Mindset Choices program was developed to more effectively meet the needs of people with a serious mental illness in the community, following a psychiatric hospitalisation.
In the first independent evaluation of Mindset Choices, a mixed-methods evaluation was conducted to assess the effect of the program in improving clients’ clinical and psychosocial functioning from baseline to closure. The evaluation also explored stakeholders’ perspectives of the impact of the program.
The research findings demonstrate that Mindset Choices is an effective model of community mental health care that can facilitate significant improvements in clinical and psychosocial functioning among adults with a serious mental illness.
Leading the way in ‘trauma-informed care and practice’ training
Working in partnership with Monash University, our research team has developed a leading workshop format for trauma-informed care and practice within residential aged care.
The workshop is now a central feature of the workforce development training in Living Well Together.
