Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC)

Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration

The Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC) is a unique collaboration of health, research, aged care and advocacy organisations working together to improve the lives of older people.

Our vision is that older people received the best possible care and support through services, programs and policies which support health and optimal quality of life.

Logos of MARC partner organisations

About Research Poetry

MARC home > Poetry exhibition

What is research poetry?

Research poetry is a form of arts-based research where poems and poetic statements are carefully crafted from interview transcripts. For this project, we created poems based on 21 interviews with bereaved older adults, GPs and nurses across Australia. Interview participants gave written consent to have their transcripts turned into poetry and art. They were free to decide whether their first name or a pseudonym was presented with their poems. With their permission, we also recorded participants and volunteers as they read the poems and invited local artists Elizabeth Darling and art therapist Claire Ganzon to illustrate some of the poems.

Who was involved in this project?

Project team: 17 members of 10 partner organisations, including Deakin University, the University of Melbourne, Federation University, Monash University, RMIT, the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, St Vincent’s, Carers Victoria, the MARC Community Advisory Group, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

This included: Dr Katrin Gerber (project manager), A/Prof Bianca Brijnath (project lead), Kayla Lock, A/Prof Danny Hills, Dr Kaori Shimoinaba, Sarah O’Leary, Dr Terence Chong, A/Prof Christina Bryant, Dr Samantha Loi, Andre Catrice, Prof Cathy Mihalopoulos, Dr Lidia Engel, Ishani Majmuda, Prof Larissa Hjorth, Teresa Dowding, Mary O’Mara, and Primrose White.

How was the project funded?

This project was made possible thanks to the funding provided by MARC, the Jo & JR Wicking Trust and the RM Gibson Research Fund.

Publications

Lidia Engel, Bianca Brijnath, Terence W. H. Chong, Danny Hills, Larissa Hjorth, Samantha Loi, Ishani Majmudar, Cathrine Mihalopoulos & Katrin Gerber (2022) Quality of life and loneliness post-bereavement: Results from a nationwide survey of bereaved older adults, Death Studies, DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2022.2155887 - Access via https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07481187.2022.2155887

Katrin Gerber, Bianca Brijnath, Kayla Lock, Christina Bryant, Danny Hills, Larissa Hjorth, ‘Unprepared for the depth of my feelings’ - Capturing grief in older people through research poetry, Age and Ageing, Volume 51, Issue 3, March 2022, afac030, DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac030 - Access via: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/doi/10.1093/ageing/afac030/6547546?guestAccessKey=d65b52e9-bcce-42cf-9267-8b24a8813fb8

Katrin Gerber & Eleanor Campbell (2022) Grief support for older Australians is lacking. Aged Care Insite Podcast.- Access via: https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2022/02/grief-support-for-older-australians-is-lacking/

Katrin Gerber & Elise Hartevelt (2022) Grief demands to be felt – using poetry to supporting grieving older people. Aged Care Insite Podcast – Access via: https://www.agedcareinsite.com.au/2022/08/grief-demands-to-be-felt-using-poetry-to-supporting-grieving-older-people-podcast/

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the exhibition or the study, please contact project manager Dr Katrin Gerber: [email protected].

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