Announcing the book launch of “Ageing in a nursing home: foundations for care”
A/Prof Rosalie Hudson’s new book Ageing in a nursing home: foundations for care promotes reform in aged care quality by proposing a new research-based whole-person model of care.
A/Prof Hudson’s book appeals to all who have a stake in aged care: nursing home residents, families and staff, teachers, general practitioners, allied health personnel and chaplains. The book proposes a person-centred, research-based model of care, with practical suggestions for improving residential aged care, including personal stories from nursing home residents, families and staff. Topics explored in various chapters include:
- Ageing in a Changing Community
- Social, Gerontological Care
- A Palliative Approach
- Community Expectations.
Ageing in a nursing home: foundations for care responds to the urgent need for change described in the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Final Report: Care, Dignity and Respect and its predecessor subtitled Neglect.
“I hope that this book serves as a reminder to improve the quality of care for older Australians,” A/Prof Hudson explained. “I believe the neglect discussed in the report can be largely attributed to a lack of information – to the residents, their families and the carers. Influencing the government and residential aged care providers by educating and informing is an important purpose of this book.”
A/Prof Hudson’s book takes a realistic approach that draws on contemporary research and narratives from the unique lives of older Australians. “Aged care requires a research-based guide to support a person-centred model of care,” A/Prof Hudson elaborated. “However, I also ensured that narratives are included throughout the book to reinforce the fact that nursing home care is about individual residents and their unique lives. The residents’ stories need to be told as much as the research needs to be shared.”
Rosalie Hudson, RN, Dip Arts, B App Sci adv.nsg., B Theol, M Theol, Grad Dip Geront., PhD, is an Associate Professor and Honorary Principal 
Fellow at the Department of Nursing Melbourne School of Health Sciences.
A/Prof Hudson is a registered nurse and former nursing home manager with 12 years of experience and several years as a community nursing supervisor. Her doctoral research focused on death and dying in nursing homes. As an ‘expert witness’, A/Prof Hudson assists with legal investigations into cases of negligence in aged care. She is an academic supervisor and examiner, and reviewer of academic journals. A/Prof Hudson is also an experienced keynote speaker at conferences, has been a member of several academic boards and has chaired a major hospital’s ethics committee for ten years. A/Prof Hudson’s teaching experience includes university undergraduate and postgraduate lectures on aged care, and regular sessions at other teaching institutions.