Dr Upasana Baruah

BSc, MSW, MPhil, PhD

Research Fellow

Dr Upasana Baruah is a Research Fellow at NARI in the Division of Social Gerontology. She is a social work and mental health professional with fifteen years of experience in the field of clinical social work, mental health and psychosocial research, teaching, supervision, sustainable development, and project management. Her areas of clinical and research interest include caregiving in dementia, family-based interventions in mental health, psychosocial interventions that can be delivered remotely and neuropalliative care. She was awarded her PhD in Psychiatric Social Work from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), India and she is currently working on the e-DiVA (empowering Dementia Carers with an iSupport Virtual Assistant) project, which aims to translate, and culturally and contextually adapt the WHO iSupport program to fit the health and social care systems of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Vietnam.

Further Information:

ORCiD

Google scholar

Email: [email protected]

Latest

Living Longer, Ageing Well: Investing for Older Victorians

NARI's submission to the Victorian Government for the 2024/25 State Budget calls on the Victorian Government to back new research and workforce training to keep Victorians healthier and living at home for longer.
NARI state budget submission 2024/2025: Living longer, ageing well - Investing for older Victorians

NARI outlines that our priorities for the 2024/25 Victorian Budget are focused on investing in the health and wellbeing of older Victorians so that, as people live longer, they can age well.
NARI Calls for State Budget to Secure Future of Healthy Ageing

Ahead of next month’s State Budget, the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) is calling on the Victorian Government to back new research and workforce training to keep Victorians healthier and living at home for longer.
Ageing Well - April 2024

NARI's newsletter Ageing Well - April 2024

Pooi Kheng Lee

Pooi Kheng, also known as PK, is a bilingual research assistant focusing on the MRFF-funded Befriending with GENIE project to enhance dementia care for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities. With expertise in dementia-enabling design, PK is dedicated to creating supportive environments and volunteers in aged care.
Marla Stone

Marla is a research assistant working on the ENJOY IMPACT Project in Mitchell Shire. She has a background in Education, Logistics and Neighbourhood House services.
Kira Kezia-Pearl

Kira is a Research Assistant within the Clinical Gerontology Division at NARI. She is working on the ENJOY IMP-ACT project which aims to improve older people’s health through physical activity.
Nyssa Clarke

Nyssa Clarke is a Research Assistant working on the MINDSET project at NARI. She has experience in public health research, primarily in the areas of health literacy, traumatic injury and sustainable transport.
Liam Borelli-Millott

Liam is a Research Assistant working with the Clinical Gerontology Division and an assistant with the NARI Education program. Liam is also a PhD Candidate focusing on the impacts of lifetime trauma on the experience of dementia and dementia care.
Dr Anna Lane

Dr Anna Lane is a Research Fellow within the Aged Care and MARC Divisions at NARI, working on the IMPART and Befriending with GENIE projects. Her research is focused on ageing and disability, ageing in place, death and dying, and aged care workforce.
Mairead Hallissey

Mairead is a research officer at NARI working on the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Parks Projects. She is an APA Sport and Exercise Physiotherapist with over 12 years of experience across a variety of clinical settings.
Dr Lisa James

Dr Lisa James is a Research Officer at NARI working on the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Parks projects. She is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) and biomechanist with expertise in gait analysis, and factors that increase the risk of trips and falls in older populations.
Janette Stefanides

Janette is a Research Assistant at NARI. She is working on the ENJOY IMP-ACT project which aims to improve older people’s health through physical activity.
Danielle McCalmont

Danielle is a Research Assistant in the Social Gerontology Division at NARI, working on the e-DiVA project. She has experience in behavioural neuroscience and quantitative analysis.

Falls risk for older People in the community: FROP-Com

The Falls Risk for Older People in the Community (FROP-Com and FROP-Com Screen) are tools used in the community for assessment or screening of falls risk.
Age-positive language guide

As part of our commitment to combatting ageism, NARI has developed an age-positive language guide. The guide provides practical examples of how words, phrases, and images can better portray older people and combat ageism.
Indigenous Cognitive Assessment: Regional and Urban KICA

The regional and urban KICA is an instrument to assess dementia in older Aboriginal people in regional and urban settings.
What is the Seniors Exercise Park?

The Seniors Exercise Park is an outdoor exercise equipment includes multiple stations specifically designed for older people to improve strength, balance, joint movements, mobility and function.
Victorian falls and balance service directory

The Victorian Falls and Balance Service Directory provides details of the clinics and programs operated by public hospitals and community health services in Victoria for older people who have had a fall or are at risk of falling.
Research participants

Make a difference in the lives of older people and those who care for them by volunteering to be involved in research.
Grief in Older People and its Effect on Healthcare Use

Examines the effects of grief in older people on healthcare use from the perspective of (a) the older bereaved person who is experiencing grief and (b) GPs who are treating grieving older people.
MINDSET: Free training to interpreters for Dementia Assessments

MINDSET is providing free specialist online dementia training to all interpreters across Australia regardless of level or language!
How to stay active at home - Exercises for older people

NARI's exercise videos can help older people stay active at home, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when you may not be as physically active outdoors. The exercises were developed by allied health professionals with expertise in exercise for older people.
Pain Management Guide (PMG) Toolkit for Aged Care, 2nd edition

The PMG toolkit, 2nd edition is a free resource to help implement the book Pain in Residential Aged Care Facilities: Management Strategies, 2nd Edition.