A trust fund for Monash Health staff caring for older people has awarded three grants to fund two research projects and a research-related trip.
The Lions John Cockayne Memorial Fellowship Trust Fund, a long-standing partnership between Monash Health and local Lions Clubs, was established in 1996 with donations from the Oakleigh Lions Club Elderly Peoples Home Inc. and Monash Health.
It aims to support clinician-driven research on the health, care, and treatment of older adults by Monash Health Aged and Rehabilitation Services, Community Rehabilitation, SACS Specialist Clinic staff, and staff from Aged Persons’ Mental Health.
The three grantees are Physiotherapist Christina Cooper for her research, The prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in older adults who fall: an exploratory study, Physiotherapist Kantaro Ito for his research, Effectiveness of telerehabilitation by video conferencing for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD): a pilot study, and Psychologist Sharryn Lydall-Smith for her attendance at the New Zealand Pain Society Conference.
Christina Cooper (Physiotherapy)
Senior Physiotherapist at Kingston Community Rehab, Christina Cooper, has been awarded more than $19,000 to fund her research to identify the number of clients over the age of 65 with vestibular dysfunction who have sustained a fall in the past 12 months but without complaints of vertigo.
Cooper explains that the vestibular system is responsible for balance and the ability to see clearly with the head moving. Any dysfunction of the vestibular system can increase the risk of falls.
‘In Community Rehab, we see clients over the age of 65 who have sustained a fall and are referred to rehab for their orthopedic issues as well as for balance issues. The current World Guidelines for Falls Prevention and management for older adults (which Monash Health implements) relies on a complaint of dizziness before any vestibular assessment is completed,’ she explained.
‘Once we have documented the presence of vestibular dysfunction present in the clients referred that have had a fall, we can then provide more targeted, evidence-based vestibular rehab to improve their fall risk.’
Kantaro Ito (Physiotherapy)
Movement Disorder Physiotherapist Kantaro Ito (Kan) has been awarded nearly $20,000 to recruit staff for a pilot randomised controlled trial to assess whether live online exercise classes are as practical and effective for people with Parkinson’s Disease as traditional face-to-face classes.
‘People with Parkinson’s disease benefit from participating in group exercise programs, as it improves their balance, symptom management and quality of life. However, it can be difficult for people with PD to attend face-to-face exercise sessions,’ said Kan.
‘Many centres, including ours, transitioned from an in-person exercise program to an online telehealth program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘The funding will help us to provide experienced staff to support implementation, recruitment of participants, assessment, delivery of the tailored exercise program, data analysis and write-up of results to share with patients, their families and health professionals.
Dr Sharryn Lydall-Smith (Psychology)
Acting Team Lead and Senior Counselling Psychologist at the Specialist Pain Centre, Dr Lydall-Smith has been awarded nearly $2,500 to cover expenses related to her attendance at the New Zealand Pain Society Scientific Conference 2025.
‘Over the past six years at Monash Health, I have undertaken several research projects with the explicit purpose of improving the provision of care and therapy to people with a wide variety of chronic pain conditions,’ said Dr Lydall-Smith.
‘Conferences such as this significantly help to improve my ability to help patients and our pain service at large by connecting with other clinicians and researchers.’
Dr Lydall-Smith added that this is a rare opportunity to network, which cannot be achieved by in-house training or self-directed learning.
‘The Trust has a proud history of funding small-scale/pilot/seed research projects and research-related travel for clinicians who care for older people. We are committed to maintaining this funding source well into the future,’ said Dr Rosa Gualano, Manager of Monash Ageing Research Centre (MONARC).
The next round of applications is expected to take place at the end of this year, with dates to be confirmed. Staff are eligible to apply if they work for Monash Health Aged and Rehabilitation Services, including Community Rehabilitation, SACS Specialist Clinics and Aged Care services (including residential and community aged care). Aged Persons’ Mental Health staff from Monash Health are also eligible to apply.
Interested candidates are encouraged to discuss their projects and travel ideas with their managers.
Queries about grant applications can be directed to Rosa Gualano at rosa.gualano@monashhealth.org and to Dr Abby Foster at alliedhealthresearch@monashhealth.org