Young people living in aged care is a wicked problem involving multiple sectors, including hospitals, housing, disability, aged care and primary and community health.
To solve the problem, we first have to understand it. This is what our research program is designed to do.
To learn more about the Summer Foundation’s Research program, watch the video or download our 2023 annual research program report below.
Research library
By researching the issues at each stage of the critical pathways that lead young people to aged care we can provide the evidence needed to create the systems change that will solve this problem.
Home and Living Outcome Framework
La Trobe University and the Summer Foundation are investigating the experiences, outcomes and economic impact of people with disability moving into specialist disability accommodation (SDA).
Three key principles underpin the Summer Foundation’s approach to research:
- Engagement of end users, particularly young people with complex support needs who live in, or are at risk of entry to, aged care; as well as community organisations, mainstream services and policy makers
- Impact on policy, practice and systems change is central to the purpose and design of our work
- Knowledge exchange and collaboration
We use a range of methodologies to develop the breadth of evidence needed to inform policy and practice around the issue of young people in aged care:
- Literature reviews and environmental scans help us understand the problem and build on previous local and international work
- Analysis of administrative data helps unlock the full potential of existing data
- Primary research involves the collection of information about the needs, preferences and outcomes of young people with disability, as well as the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), pilots and prototypes
Participate in our research
The Summer Foundation Research Program relies on the generous people who volunteer their time and experience to help us understand the issues affecting young people with disability and complex support needs.
If you’re interested in any of our research projects, we would love to hear from you.