Engaging residents and families about managing psychotropic medicines in aged care facilities

The project aims to examine engaging with residents and families to explore the complexities of communicating about medicines that affect the mind, emotions and behaviour in aged care facilities. Many residents are given medicines they do not need. Strategies devised by residents, families and care providers will be tested to identify improvements in how resident and family engagement occurs in medicine decisions. Outcomes will involve developing and testing creative strategies for better communication. Benefits will comprise enhanced engagement with residents and families in making appropriate medicine decisions, which may in turn, reduce health care harm. The PhD student will gain skills and experience in conducting and analysing interviews, observations of practice, co-design workshops and feasibility studies. In addition, the PhD student will participate as a member of the multidisciplinary team of the project, comprising researchers with expertise in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, aged care, decision-making, co-design and health sociology.