Associate Professor Maree Bernoth

Larger percentages of people in Australia are living longer lives, significantly changing the demography of a country that was once perceived as a young country. Our national anthem says we are "young and free" but since the mid 1980's, Associate Professor Maree Bernoth has been working with older people. In my profession as a registered nurse, I became aware of the precarious nature of residential care for both the older person and the staff.

The vulnerability of older people and those struggling to care for them, were the impetus for my work as an educator and a researcher. Teaching ageing in innovative and engaging ways that resonate with students, is an opportunity to confront ageist attitudes and demonstrate the professional satisfaction of working with older people.

Her research began by trying to keep the cohorts mentioned above "safe" but in giving voice to conditions of residential aged care, she became exposed and vulnerable. Subsequently, A/Prof Bernoth moved from the clinical to the academy where she has a strong voice and can be an advocate for teaching and policy related to older people and residential aged care.

A/Prof Bernoth has further broadened her research interests to older people living in rural and remote communities, the meaning of community to older people and a participatory model of working with older people.

Research Interests

• Ageing
• Rural ageing
• Working with older people
• Co-creation (with older people) of learning and knowing about ageing

Bachelor HealthScience (Nursing), Charles Sturt University

Masters Ed(Adult Ed &Training, Hons Class1), University of New England

PhD Monash, 2009.

Selected Publications

Peer Reviewed Papers

Hughes, C., Winkler, D., & Bernoth, M. (2018) Promoting Health Across the lifespan: Involving older people as teachers. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal, 25: 40

Green, E., Jain, P. & Bernoth, M. (2017) Noninvasive ventilation for acute exacerbations of asthma: A systematic review of the literature. Australian Critical Care, 30: 289-287

Bailey, A., Bailey, S., & Bernoth, M. (2017) "I'd rather die happy": Residents' experiences with food regulations, risk and food choice in residential aged care. Contemporary Nurse, 
DOI: 10.1080/10376178.2017.1361334

Green, E., Jain, P., & Bernoth, M. (2017) Non-invasive ventilation for acute exacerbations of asthma: A systematic review of the literature. Australian Critical Care, 
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2017.01.003

Anderson, J., Bernoth, M., & Croxon, L. (2017) Partnerships for learning and mentoring in aged care.  Australian nursing & midwifery journal, 24(7), p.36-36.

Cresp, S., & Bernoth, M. (2017). The experiences of residents and their relatives accessing oral hygiene in a residential care facility. Australian nursing & midwifery journal. 24(11), p. 26-26.

Book

Bernoth, M., & Winkler, D. (2017) Healthy ageing and aged care. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Current Projects

• 2016/2017, with Dr Denise Winkler, Helen Gorman, Judy O'Connell and Alison Devitt, A/Prof Maree  Bernoth has developed an innovative way of presenting learning material to engage students in learning about ageing. They have developed an on-line magazine that the students receive weekly to make the learning material interesting and to guide them through their subject. The Magazine called Milestones, links with the text Dr Winkler and A/Prof Bernoth have edited and the game, GSELA.
• 2017, $93,000 NSW Family and Community Services, Liveable Communities Grant. This grant is to develop support documents to support the inclusion of older people in residential aged care in the teaching of ageing. Older people in residential aged care are often isolated and are not recognised for the valuable and rich life experiences that they have to share. The outcome of this project will be models and strategies for managers, educators and older people to facilitate the sharing of life those experiences with the aged care workforce.
• 2016, $10,000 CSU Learning and Teaching Grant: To develop gaming strategies to enhance learning about ageing. Students will have the opportunity to implement assessment skills and subsequent clinical decisions related to working with older people through the use of avatars. Students will be able to appreciate the direct impact of their nursing practices on older people through the avatars. Chief Investigator: Maree Bernoth and the development team is L. Croxon, A. Hohol, D. Winkler, R. Fell, B. Atkinson and S. Theobald.
• 2015, $14,000 HETI grant: Exploring non-traditional, quality clinical placements in an aged care facility in Western NSW. This led to a report to the funding body, Enabling Community: Partnerships for Learning and Mentoring in Aged Care and a conference presentation. The research is continuing. Chief Investigator: M. Bernoth, and research team L. Croxon and Dr J. Anderson. Outcomes: This project has eventuated in an innovative approach to attracting registered nurses to rural aged care and substantial links between CSU and the aged care industry. It has generated post graduate positions in aged care, a Clinical Chair in Aged Care and MOUs with two aged care organisations.
• 2015, $264,000 CareWest – Lead Institution in a grant with CSU as Subcontractor. Entitled, Social and Community Links: a driver of healthy and active ageing, it explored the impact of dedicated aged care specialists working with older, community dwelling people who are isolated with the aim of reconnecting them with their communities in a way that is meaningful to them. Co-Investigators: Morrison, Mark; O. Burmeister, Z. Islam, M. Bernoth, R. Dionigi. A three year project.