Information for ...

General Practitioners with Patients in
Residential Care Facilities

The University of WA has received funding to study the quality of life of people with dementia living in residential care facilities. As you know, many people with dementia require residential care, and improving the care delivered to them is widely acknowledged as an urgent imperative. Both General Practitioners (GPs) and staff of Residential Care Facilities (RCF) play a key-role in the care of older people living in RCFs. Educational interventions appear to be effective; however, the best way to translate knowledge regarding the components of high quality care into practice is uncertain.

The study will determine whether quality of life of people with dementia can be improved through education delivered to GPs and/or RCF staff using a randomised trial of educational interventions. It has been approved by the University's Ethics Committee, and we are hoping to begin the study shortly.

To this end, we are seeking the involvement of GPs who currently have patients with dementia living in residential care facilities in the Perth Metropolitan Area. Patients can be in either high care or low care beds, as both will be assessed as part of the study.

We ask for your participation in this research project. Many of the RCFs in the Perth metropolitan area have already expressed their interest in being part of this project, but we also need your involvement!

If you would like to take part, please complete the GP Contact Information Form [ DOC 0.1MB ] and send it to:

Kelly Banz
Study Coordinator, DIRECT Study
Email: Kelly.Banz@uwa.edu.au
Phone: 9224 8440
Fax: 9224 2063

Postal Address:
WA Centre for Health and Ageing
The University of Western Australia
Royal Perth Hospital Unit (M573)
GPO Box X2213
PERTH WA 6847