Newsletter 9: June 2007

NEWS.

MonRAS Evening Forum no. 2

Too Old to Work, Too Young to Die

The second MonRAS Evening Forum on Ageing Research was held on Wednesday 6th June at the Monash University Staff Club.

The topic for discussion was the ageing workforce led by Professor Carla Lipsig-Mumme from the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Arts who described the paradoxes and dilemmas for older workers and labour market participation in Australia in her keynote presentation.

Presentations from Associate Professor Lesley Farrell (Faculty of Education), Paul Murphy (UniSuper) and Andrew Rimington (VECCI) canvassed a wide range of issues including education and training for older workers, the effects of the ageing population on superannuation and the challenges and opportunities for employers and business.

Health Promotion and Illness Prevention Working Group

The first meeting of the Health Promotion and Illness Prevention Working Group took place on Tuesday 5th June. Dr Craig Hassed from the Department of General Practice opened the group with a presentation titled ‘The ESSENCE of Ageing Well’

The meeting brought together a multidisciplinary team from the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Victorian College of Pharmacy and the Melbourne Dental School. Participants discussed potential projects for research grant proposals and the publication of a thematic book on health promotion. The next meeting will be held in July, with a date yet to be confirmed.

If you are interested in the activities of this and other MonRAS working groups, please contact MonRAS at monras@adm.monash.edu.au 

The launch of Lessons on Ageing from Three Nations

MonRAS hosted the launch of two volumes that make an important contribution to the field of healthy ageing from an international perspective. The two volumes; The Art of Ageing Well and The Art of Caring for Older Adults were co-edited by Professor Carol Morse, Director of Monash University Health and Wellbeing Research.

Dr June Hearn officially launched these two volumes on Monday 4th June at the Monash Staff Club, Clayton. Dr Hearn (centre) is pictured here with Professors Carol Morse and David Copolov.

Monash University Ageing Research Think-Tank

The first meeting of the Think Tank members was a dinner at the Monash University Club on Friday 22nd June.

Professor Rosemary Calder, the Head of the Mental Health and Health Workforce Division of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (and former MonRAS Interim Director) addressed the Think Tank members on the important role this Monash University initiative will play in leading the debate on ageing issues in Australia. She also expressed her delight in being invited to join the Think Tank.

Think Tank members suggested a number of issues and themes to be explored during formal sessions later this year. Format for these formal sessions and other operational aspects of the Think Tank were also discussed.

Two formal, independently facilitated, working sessions of the Think Tank are planned for August and October 2007.

UPCOMING EVENTS.

MonRAS Thematic Working Groups

Design, Technology and Transport Working Group

Ageing Workforce Working Group

The dates for working groups on the following themes will be announced shortly:

• Cognition, mental health and well being
• Pain management and optimum use of medicines
• Elder abuse

If you would like to participate in any of these working group discussions, please register your interest at the MonRAS website or contact the MonRAS office.

Special Seminar Hosted by MonRAS, the Transport and Social Inclusion Committee and the ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well

The Transport and Social Inclusion Committee (TASIC), MonRAS and the ARC Research Network on Ageing Well are proud to present a special seminar by Sandra Rosenbloom (Professor of Planning and an Adjunct Professor in Natural Renewable Resources, Gerontology, and Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona) who will speak on:
Meeting the Mobility Needs of Older People; If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem.

Professor Rosenbloom is internationally recognized for her scholarship on the implications for transportation and community development of societal trends—notably, suburbanization, the ageing of society, the increased role in the labor force of women with children, and the growth of groups with special needs.

The seminar will take place on Wednesday 25 July, 4 - 6 pm , at the Monash University Staff Club, followed by drinks and nibbles and an opportunity to meet with the speaker. Places are limited. If you wish to attend this special event please contact Julie Suker (9902 0189 or monras@adm.monash.edu.au )

MonRAS Evening Forum no. 3

Evidence based treatment and care of the very old

Keynote speaker: Prof Daniel O'Connor
Aged Mental Health Research Group,
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Wednesday 15 August 2007, 4-6pm
Monash University Staff Club
Clayton Campus

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences presents the ROD ANDREW ORATION 2007

Survival of the Fittest, Survival of the Thinnest or Survival of the Richest? What role for doctors in longevity?

By Dr Norman Swan MBChB, FRCP, MD (Hon), DCH (RCP&S Eng) 

 Medical journalist and commentator, Dr Norman Swan will explore the changing nature of human survival through history, particularly over the last 50 years and provide a view of the next 50 years. He will look at the causes of change and the medical and social implications it will have.

Dr Swan is host of the Health Report on ABC Radio national and is a multi-award winning journalist.

When: 5:30-6:30pm, Thursday, 26 July 2007
Where: South 1 Lecture Theatre, Building 64, Monash University, Clayton campus

RSVP essential: mnhs.rsvp@med.monash.edu.au or (03) 9905 5971

ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well sponsored workshop

Behavioural Interventions for Dementia

20 July 2007, Adelaide
This workshop, convened by Professor Mary Luszcz, will seek to  develop a research agenda to implement, monitor and evaluate cognitive interventions with cognitively impaired individuals based on the Spaced-Retrieval and Montessori techniques of Dr Cameron Camp, Director and Senior Research Scientist at Myers Research Institute, Menorah Park Center for Senior Living in Beachwood, Ohio.

Attendance at this workshop is by invitation only. Prof Colette Browning will be nominating people from Victoria to attend the workshop. If you are interested please send a brief paragraph outlining your research in the area of dementia and/or cognitive ageing to Prof Browning (or contact 0448 708090)

FUNDING & CONFERENCES.

Launch of "Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research"

Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research is a new peer-reviewed full "Open Access" journal for scientists, geriatricians, and health professionals interested in molecular, cellular, organismal aspects of gerontological research and in diagnosis, treatment, evaluation and educational aspects of geriatrics research.

For more information see the journal's website . 

Arthritis Victoria: First International Conference of Tai Chi for Health

Featuring: Exercise for Independent living research project by Dr. Lesley Day (NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Accident Research Centre, Monash University)

Friday, 29 June 2007, 6.30pm – 9pm
Arthritis Victoria,
263-265 Kooyong Road, Elsternwick
Cost: $10 for members; $15 for non-members
For further information contact Sandra Barry Ph: 8531 8008 or sandra@arthritisvic.org.au

Expressions of Interest sought for ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Ageing Well Workshop

Modelling Household Structure and Family Support for Elderly Persons

11 October 2007, Canberra

Assoc Professor Heather Booth from the Network's Population Research Strategy Theme at the ANU is proposing to hosting this one-day workshop and is keen to assess the level of interest. 
The Workshop will be free of charge, but participants would need to cover their travel and accommodation costs, etc.
This one-day Workshop would be of interest to people who wish to model households for planning and research. Household and family structures are of crucial importance in the lives of the elderly, affecting many outcomes including health and survival, service need, consumer demand, the provision of informal care (including who gives care) and the demand for residential care, among others.

The workshop will be facilitated by two international scholars from Duke University: Professor Zeng Yi and Dr Zhenglian Wang. The Workshop will provide training in macrosimulation modelling of household structures with particular reference to the availability of family support for elderly persons.

Specialist software, ProFamy, will be made available to participants free of charge. This software can provide detailed elderly living arrangements at national, state and small area levels. The software has been used to model and forecast households in several countries including the US and China. Further details are available at http://www.profamy.com .
The input data required include the base population; age-sex-specific rates of death, marriage, fertility (by parity), leaving the parental home, and net migration; and summary measures of these events over time. Australian data will be made available. Participants will also have access to demographers at the Australian National University, with the opportunity to gain greater understanding of the demographic data and measures used. 

In the first instance, please respond to Professor Colette Browning indicating whether you or one of your colleagues would be interested in participating in what should be a very valuable workshop. If there is sufficient interest, then more detailed information about the workshop will be provided in due course.

6th National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing

Defining Future Directions

Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Hilton Adelaide, Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia

Abstracts for ERA 2007 are due by close of business Friday, 27 July 2007.

For further conference details and to submit an abstract, please visit www.ageingwell.edu.au/era2007 or contact (08) 8222 5215.

Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria and the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health Seminar

Bowls, Bingo and Bocce

A seminar for public health and aged care workers and CALD groups exploring the positive ageing of our migrant communities.

Thursday 26 July, 1.00pm to 3.30pm
Meeting Room A, Statewide Resource Centre,150 Palmerston Street, Carlton
RSVP by phoning ECCV on 9349-4122 or email natasha@eccv.org.au

20th Anniversary Cognitive Ageing Conference - Down Under

Flinders University is hosting this upcoming conference on 12 - 15 July 2007, Stamford Grand Hotel, Glenelg, Adelaide.
More information at http://www.cos.gatech.edu/cac/cac_du.htm

Australian Psychological Society 2007 Psychology & Ageing Interest Group Conference

Geriaction National Conference 2007

Caring for the Aged in all Contexts: models, myths and magic

Post Graduate Support Grants

GlaxoSmithKline is offering post graduate support grants of up to $15,000 per annum for two years to PhD or Post Doctorate students in the field of human health. 
Applications for the 2007 round are now available.
Closing date for the 2007 application round and all supporting documentation is 5.00pm (AEST) Friday 27 July 2007.
More details at:. http://www.gsk.com.au/research-development.aspx

For other funding opportunities

CONTACT US.

The MonRAS office is staffed every weekday from 9am to 5pm.
9902 0189 or monras@adm.monash.edu.au 

Register with MonRAS

Join the more than 150 Monash researchers who are registered with MonRAS. Simply complete the on-line form here.
External participants (non-Monash University) are invited to register with MonRAS.  Complete the on-line form here.

Publicising ageing research through the monthly MonRAS e-newsletter

Did you know that the MonRAS e-newletter is distributed to over 400 recipients?
If you have any conference, seminar or funding opportunity announcements or other news that you would like publicised to the Monash researcher community through the MonRAS newsletter and/or website please contact MonRAS at: monras@adm.monash.edu.au.