Rainbow Inclusive Aged Care Project

The aim of the Lived Experience Advisory Group is to contribute lived and living experience expertise into each stage of the project, supporting the co-design of a rainbow-inclusive model of care. The group's objectives are to: 

• Provide advice on lived and living experience as it relates to the project and its outcomes.
• Discuss and assist interpretation of the findings from each stage of the project.
• Discuss the safety protocols, research instruments, the rainbow-inclusive model of care and the guidelines and resources.
• Provide feedback and engage in dialogue with the National Reference Group. 

The Group comprises six LGBTQ+ people with lived or living experience of any of the following: ageing, residential aged care, caregiving, dementia, HIV or other blood-borne viruses, frailty. Drawing on diverse lived experience expertise is critical to the project’s success. The perspectives of transgender, nonbinary and bisexual people will be sought and welcomed, as well as people who are culturally diverse, disabled, those living in both urban and regional or rural areas, and across Australia. Recruitment to the group is based on an expression of interest process. 

The aim of the National Reference Group is to draw on members’ expertise to provide feedback on and approve project material and promote the project and its outcomes nationally.  Its objectives are to: 

• Provide advice on the wider contextual issues impacting on the project – e.g., in relation to the LGBTQ+ community needs, the lived experience of LGBTQ+ older people, the aged care industry, aged care policy and practice reform, workforce issues.
• Engage in dialogue and feedback with the Lived Experience Advisory Group.
• Facilitate distribution of the survey through organisation and networks.
• Discuss and assist interpretation of the findings from each stage of the project.
• Provide feedback on safety protocols, research instruments, the rainbow-inclusive model of care and the guidelines and resources.
• Approve safety protocols, the rainbow-inclusive model of care and the guidelines and resources.
• Promote the project and its outcomes through partner organisations and wider networks and for national impact.  

Membership comprises a representative from each of the partner organisations, all associate investigators, a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group, the lead chief investigator, research staff and others as invited. The Group meets three times per year for the life of the project. 

The aim of the Project Management Committee is to provide strategic and operational oversight of the whole project, including risk management/mitigation strategies. Its objectives are to: 

• Guide the implementation of the project in line with the initial proposal, partnership agreements and implementation plans.
• Support the research staff and investigators to carry out their work.
• Identify and manage risks. 
• Monitor the budget to ensure appropriate expenditure to deliver the project.
• Ensure all parties fulfil their responsibilities as agreed to in the initial proposal, partnership agreements and implementation plans.
• Ensure compliance with MRFF requirements.  

The committee comprises all nine Chief Investigators, research staff and others as invited. The committee meets monthly.