This project was led by Queensland University of Technology researchers – pictured below, from top to bottom: Associate Professor Evonne Miller, Professor Laurie Buys and Geraldine Donoghue (Research Fellow). We worked closely with our Industry Partner Ballycara, particularly Partner Investigator Nicole Devlin (Director of Services, Ballycara).
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Professor Evonne Miller
Evonne Miller is Professor of Design Psychology at Queensland University of Technology and Director of the QUT Design Lab, where we reimagine and redesign the future. Evonne’s research centres on design for health, drawing on participatory co-design, arts-based and knowledge translation approaches to understand, communicate, improve and re-design the experience...
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Adjunct Professor Laurie Buys
Broad area of research: Design ResearchProfessor Laurie Buys is an experienced social science researcher and research manager, who frequently collaborates with scientists from various disciplinary backgrounds on complex research initiatives. Her main research interests fall under the broad headings of social sustainability and social gerontology, focusing specifically on issues associated...
Industry Partner & Partner Investigator: Nicole Devlin, from Ballycara
This project was a joint research collaboration between QUT and BallyCara, a retirement village and aged care facility in Brisbane, Australia. BallyCara, owned and operated by the Queensland Hibernian Friendly Society (a non-profit, charitable organisation), comprises of high care and low care beds, independent retirement villas, and also provides support services to community-dwelling older Australians. Our Partner Investigator on the project was Ms Nicole Devlin, Director of Services at BallyCara. Nicole is pictured above (bottom left), with a resident during a Photovoice Workshop in the pilot study.
Thanks and acknowledgements
This research was supported under Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme (project number LP130100036). We also acknowledge the critical contributions of the broader research team: Dr Lorraine Bell (Videographer), Dr Deborah Oxlade (Interviewer), Tricia King (Photographer) & Sarah Holland-Batt (Poet).
The project would not have been possible with the support of our industry partner and host organization, Ballycara. We have been fortunate to work closely with Marcus Riley (CEO), Nicole Devlin (Director of Services) and Paul Johnson (Chief Operating Officer), whose collaborative approach and depth of commitment to improving the lives and everyday experience of older Australians is truly inspiring.
Most importantly, we thank all the staff and residents at Ballycara. We are forever grateful for your willing participation, as you openly shared your lives, hearts, struggles, joys and homes with us. Your images and personal stories have provided powerful insight into the experience of ageing, old age and life in retirement and aged care communities. Thank you. Finally, a special acknowledgment.
We respectfully dedicate this project and the exhibition to those participants and residents who shared their images and stories, but sadly passed away during the completion of this project – Carol, Monica, Matilda, Patrick, Bertha and Dorothy (please note, to protect privacy, some names in this research and exhibition are participant-chosen pseudonyms).
