University of Sydney and HammondCare announce partnership

The Memorandum of Understanding cements a long-standing collaboration between the two organisations and signifies the important role of research in informing evidence-based, best practice care in health and aged care.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Mark Scott AO said the University is proud to be partnering with HammondCare.

“We support HammondCare’s vision for research-driven innovation in the health and aged care sector. We know that the work of our researchers and our students will not only contribute to, but shape how that is achieved and its impact on the wider sector.”

HammondCare CEO Mike Baird AO said the partnership recognises HammondCare’s thought leadership in aged, dementia and palliative care.

“This will support us to reach our ambition to set the global standard of relationship-based care, for people with complex needs and to increase our care for those that others won’t or can’t.”

The partnership will facilitate potentially life-changing research projects, a number of which are already underway. These include a National Health and Medical Research Council funded Partnership Project led by Professor Yun-Hee Jeon, with co-investigators from HammondCare. The project aims to improve the independence, health and wellbeing of people living with dementia in residential aged care by promoting person-centered ‘reablement’, supporting the person with dementia to set goals and take actions to improve or maintain their independence and function.

Closer collaboration between HammondCare and the University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health will also help inform education needs, upskill the existing workforce and better prepare students as they enter the workforce with skills that are fit for purpose.

“This partnership will have benefits for university students who want to work on collaborative research in real world settings,” said Madeleine Juhrmann,  PhD candidate with the University’s Northern Clinical School, an employee at HammondCare and recipient of a HammondCare Foundation scholarship that has allowed her to pursue her research into paramedicine and palliative care with HammondCare.

Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Belinda Hutchinson AC said the partnership showed the importance of collaboration to address the challenges and opportunities facing health and aged care.

“Working together and sharing each organisation’s specialised skills, knowledge and expertise will ultimately benefit those that need it the most, improving the lives of those who HammondCare serve, their families and carers, the broader health and aged care sector and indeed our community.”

HammondCare Executive Director Research Associate Professor Colm Cunningham said the partnership was about building capacity in the aged care sector. “This is translating what people are learning into action to improve quality of care,” he said.

HammondCare’s research program can be viewed in its latest Research Report.