During 2004, the Ageing and Aged Care Unit designed and undertook national evaluations of pilot aged care services delivered through the Aged Care Innovative Pool (dementia and disability/aged care interface streams) and the Retirement Villages Care Pilot (RVCP) initiatives of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
The AIHW evaluations measure levels of need for assistance in client groups and the capacity for innovative care to assist older people with special needs to remain in their familiar home environment. They explore the characteristics of innovative care as characterised by each RVCP and Innovative Pool dementia and disability/aged care interface project.
The methodology for the three national evaluations adheres to an evaluation framework developed by the AIHW. Briefly, this comprises the profiling of clients and carers, service utilisation reporting and outcome measurement. Measurement domains include social resources; basic and advanced activities of daily living; extent of, and satisfaction with, participation in major life areas; psychological and behavioural symptoms of dementia; and carer well-being.
The reports on the three evaluations were released in late 2006.