Aged Care Insite Issue 107 | Jun-Jul 2018 | Page 21

practical living a real opportunity to engage? Or is it potentially more about hearing a familiar voice or discussions? I think it’s both. For some people, it was clear that they liked the talkback, or a specific type of program, like a morning show. It could be the fact that the same radio presenter is giving them information, such as the news, and the weather, as well as having that discussion. People clearly know what they want to listen to, and what they don’t want to listen to. So while some people like the discussion, and feel that talkback is giving them a way of participating in a conversation, other people don’t necessarily like talkback but are still able to have that connection to the voices being heard on programs that are more informational, or even through the voices in songs that have lyrics. How will you go about determining whether listening to the radio can help combat loneliness and depression among older people? Right now I’ve been undertaking a lot of interviews, just chatting to people and getting their experiences. And some people did express their awareness of using the radio to shift their mood. We know that this is a reason often cited by people young and old for listening to music. So sometimes people are making their choices based on trying to shift their mood, to be in a more positive mood or perhaps be more energetic. What I’m moving towards is the second phase of the research. We have an online survey right now – but it can also be done on paper – asking questions about radio preferences and music listening, as well as questions on life satisfaction and wellbeing. Through this, we’ll be able to gather more data and look at these relationships. And you’ll also be talking to the radio personnel. What do you hope to gather from those conversations? This will be the next phase, which I’m really excited about, because I will be gathering all this data from listeners. What I want to do is synthesise that and then have discussions with radio personnel to see if they’re making choices and creating programming that not only can address what listeners want, but can also promote wellbeing. And you’ll explore whether what is played on the radio makes a difference. Did your early interviews reveal any insights into preferences, or what are you expecting to discover there? The people I’ve spoken with so far have definitely given me strong indications of preferences in terms of genres of music, different artists and bands, and things like that. So at a fundamental level, of course, people’s own personal preferences are going to play a role. And that extends to the type of programming as well. So searching for music or talkback programs, or even arts and leisure programs, or sporting events, is a big feature that will be important. But I think we also need to explore the types of music to understand what’s being played, and how that affects us. So more research definitely needs to be done, but then we’re taking steps in that direction to explore the types of music not only that people prefer, but also how that’s connected to how they feel as a result of listening to it. So in the long term, what impact do you hope these findings have on potentially improving wellbeing among older adults? One of the great things about this project is that it is a collaboration People talk about the radio providing companionship ... about not only having a relationship listening to the same presenters, but often to a favourite program. between myself, as researcher at the University of Melbourne, but also in collaboration with the Community Broadcasting Foundation. And what that allows us to do is put together not only an academic report of the findings, but also some fact sheets, like a pamphlet you might find at the GP about exercising more. The idea is to put together an easy to read, easy to disseminate information sheet that carers and family members can also use. It would be a way to provide information back to the community about how to listen and explore radio with the goal of wellbeing in mind. ■ 2018 BETTER PRACTICE FOR THE FUTURE NATIONAL CONFERENCE Living the life I choose Safety, health & wellbeing 22-24 August 2018 Sofitel Sydney Wentworth To register, visit: www.aacqa.gov.au/events A gathering | A showcase | A conversation | A celebration agedcareinsite.com.au 19