Delivering the best for aged care residents

A NEW study to evaluate the Grampians Residential In Reach (RIR) program was officially launched recently.

The initiative was designed to improve specialist healthcare for older adults living in residential care homes across rural and regional western Victoria.

The $9 million project began in April 2025 and will run through to June 2026 in participating aged care homes in the area.

Western Alliance, a regional Research Translation Centre accredited by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), in collaboration with The Grampians Region Health Service Partnership (GRHSP), will conduct the research in partnership with DELIVER.

“This trial grew from a shared commitment to research for better healthcare closer to home,” said DELIVER program director at Deakin University, Associate Professor Kate Huggins.

“The health services wanted to make sure their new service model could be properly evaluated not only to demonstrate its effectiveness, but to generate the evidence needed to guide future funding decisions.

“We worked together from the start, designing the research alongside the service so it truly reflects rural healthcare needs and can be more rapidly embedded into practice to support lasting change.”

The RIR Program was designed to improve the health and wellbeing of aged care residents by ensuring they receive care appropriate to their individual needs and preferences.

The nurse-led, telehealth-enabled service operates from Grampians Health Ballarat and is available 7.30am to 7.30pm, seven days a week.

“This is a true collaboration between health services, universities, and aged care providers,” said Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser said.

“It reflects the strength of our regional partnerships and our shared commitment to delivering better care, closer to home, for older people in our communities.”

The evaluation will measure clinical effectiveness, hospital avoidance, staff and resident experience, and system-level cost-efficiency, and provide insights for potential scale-up across Victoria and nationally.

“Western Alliance is excited to bring together this collaborative of health services and universities dedicated to using evidence to make local healthcare improvements in western Victoria,” said Western Alliance executive director Drew Aras said.

“The trial demonstrates the importance of a place-based approach, which not only ensures that the context of the community is captured, but also that the capacity of the health and research workforce within the region is built as part of the process.”

David, a resident in Grampians Health Aged Care Community who has participated in the program provided positive feedback.

“It works to prevent the unnecessary disturbance of the daily routine, so it’s worth it,” he said.

“I’ve been in hospital after a couple of falls, and I just want to get home where I can also be cared for.”