Tuesday 8 April 2025

Media Release

NARI is pleased to announce that we have been successful in receiving a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Dementia Ageing and Aged Care Mission Grant of $2.9 million for our latest translational research project titled: 'iSupport Digital (iSupport-D) intervention for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) family carers and people living with dementia'.

Led by NARI Principal Research Fellow Associate Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen, alongside multiple local and international partner organisations including Dementia Australia and community ethno-specific aged care providers, this 5-year project will involve:

• Convening a CALD Stakeholder Advisory Group of carers, policymakers, and service providers to govern, adapt, disseminate, and facilitate access to the iSupport-D program.
• Co-creating iSupport-D, a culturally adapted, multimedia digital health, carer intervention in five languages plus English, and its companion version for care staff.
• Trialing iSupport-D in a parallel randomized controlled trial comparing iSupport-D to usual care to assess its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
• Evaluating the implementation of iSupport-D, including measures of acceptability, fidelity, and feasibility.

The proposed outcome for the project is the implementation of a program that enhances access to quality care for CALD people living with dementia and their carers. This will improve the quality of life, reduce carer distress and burnout, and improve cost-effectiveness of care.

iSupport is a World Health Organisation (WHO) global online intervention for informal carers of people with dementia. The generic version of iSupport is freely accessible at www.isupportfordementia.org and includes five themes: what is dementia; being a carer; caring for me; providing everyday care; and dealing with changed behaviour.

Quotes from NARI Principal Research Fellow Associate Professor Tuan Nguyen:

“More than 108,000 culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians with dementia live in the community, receiving home-based care. However, both CALD family carers and community ethno-specific aged care workers often lack knowledge and skills in best-practice care, leading to suboptimal care, unmet care needs and negative health outcomes for both CALD people living with dementia and themselves. Addressing this gap, iSupport Digital aims to improve equity of access to quality care for this population.”

“We're working to address challenges for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australian carers of people with dementia who lack caregiving skills and have trouble accessing culturally appropriate services. Together with CALD stakeholders, we'll develop iSupport-D, a digital health solution tailored to the needs of carers to pinpoint effective strategies that improve access, reduce distress, and enhance care quality.”

 – ENDS –

Media Contact:                                 

Amy Parker

Senior Manager Government Relations and Strategic Communications, National Ageing Research Institute (NARI)

[email protected]

Available for Comment:

Associate Professor Tuan Nguyen

Senior Principal Researcher, National Ageing Research Institute (NARI)

[email protected]

About NARI:

The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) is Australia’s leading independent, non-profit medical research centre dedicated to ageing, health and aged care research. With a strong focus on translational research – from healthy ageing through to end-of-life care across all services and settings – NARI makes a measurable difference to the lives of older people and those who care for them.

Founded in 1976, NARI is highly respected across the community, health, aged care and research sectors in Australia and internationally. Our work is underpinned by effective and meaningful collaboration, engagement and co-design with a range of key stakeholders to understand and respond to identified need.

We bring together the expertise of industry leaders, advocacy groups, academics, clinical experts, world-class educators and older people themselves to influence and shape the agenda; providing a bridge between academia, policy and practice by rapidly translating research into accessible evidence, knowledge, tools and resources to enable informed decision making by government, service providers and clinicians. This has positive health, wellbeing, social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts for individuals and the community.

Current priorities for translational research at NARI include a focus on healthy ageing; prevention and management of medical conditions associated with advancing age; technological solutions to support older people to age well; diversity and inclusion; carer support and education; health and aged care systems evaluation; and evidence-informed model of care development. We are also committed to tackling growing societal issues such ageism and an increasing prevalence of elder abuse as well as challenges in recruiting and retaining a capable and resourced community, health and aged care workforce to meet the needs of Australia’s ageing population.