• Director of the Home Modification Information Clearinghouse www.homemods.info
• Associate Professor within the Centre for Health Assets Australasia http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/chaa/
• Member of the Standards Australia Visitable, Adaptable and Modified Housing Committee https://committees.standards.org.au/COMMITTEES/ME-064/PROJECTS/4156
• Member of AHNUD www.anuhd.org
• Associate Member of the NHMRC/ARC Ageing well Network http://www.ageingwell.edu.au/net_mem_associate.htm
• Board member ILC-NSW http://www.ilcnsw.asn.au//index.php

 

Teaching interests

 

Design for older people, people with disabilities and carers; social sustainability and the built environment; design for wellbeing; measurement of the built environment and research methods relevant to the above.

 

Research interests and consultancy expertise

 

Dr Bridge's research interests are in social sustainability and how the built environment (at all scales from interior design of private housing to transport and urban planning) influences people's quality of life, and mental and physical health and wellbeing. Dr Bridge has particular expertise in understanding human-environment transactions for people of all abilities and ages in application of this knowledge as a means of improving design outcomes. For instance, dementia day-centre respite facility guidelines and group home and villa design guidelines for those with high medical-needs and/or aggressive or disturbed behaviours.

 

Research reputation and recent projects

 

Dr Bridge has a significant National and International reputation in this area, as evidenced by invited participation in: International Design Awards as a judge; International forums and publications; Commonwealth Governments Building for the Future Consumer information committee; National and State based Home and Community Care planning; and the NSW Premiers 2030 Roundtable on Ageing as one of Australia's eminent experts on housing solutions for older people. In 2006 the Home Modification Information Clearinghouse Project was nominated for the NSW Premiers Public Service Award. Her housing research portfolio includes: research on housing and care; housing and health; older people and sustainability; accessibility of the built environment and extensive research on home modification interventions. In 2006, Dr Bridge was awarded a plaque by the Sri Lankan Urban Development Authority for her input regarding the creation of a non-handicapping environment in the National rebuilding initiatives undertaken following on from the Tsumani of 2004. Dr Bridge currently directs the Home Modification Information Clearinghouse (HMinfo) Project. HMinfo is a recurrent research consultancy project funded by the Home and Community Care Program (60% Commonwealth and 40% State based) and was established to develop and disseminate an evidence base for Home Modification Interventions in Australia.

 

Examples of recent publications and conference papers

 

Bridge, C. (2008) Creating no-step entrances. In Garlick, B., Jones, D. & Luscombe, G. (Eds.) Beyond Beige: improving architecture for older people and people with disabilities . The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. pp. 180-181.

This book sets out to address the demographic change in Australia and is targeted towards architects, interior designers, builders and specifiers. It combines cases, interviews and technical notes.

Bridge, C. , Phibbs, P. Kendig, H., Mathews, M. & Cooper, B The costs and benefits of using private housing as the ‘home base' for care for older people: Secondary data analysis (Final Report). Sydney: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), The University of Sydney Research Centre. Available online http://www.ahuri.edu.au

This was the first (and only) Australian research examining the interrelationship between housing and care costs. It is significant both Nationally and Internationally as it found that care for older adults can cost-effectively be provided in private homes, but the costs and benefits of in-home care are related to a variety of factors with tenure type and dwelling type being the most significant in relation to care costs. The nexus between housing and the cost of in-home care means that policy makers must consider housing concerns as aged care policy evolves.

Kendig, H. & Bridge, C. (2007), Housing policy for a long-lived society. In Borowski, A Encel, S. & Ozanne E. (Eds.) Ageing and Social Policy in Australia . University of New South Wales Press Ltd. pp. 219-238.

This chapter provides a summary of Australian housing policy as relevant to older people. It examined the policy initiatives over the last decade and raised some of the key ageing-in-place policy questions for the future.

Bridge, C. & Goppalan, P. (2006) Retrofitting, a response to lack of diversity: An analysis of the Home Modification and Maintenance services funded under the Home and Community Care Program. In S. Darby, P. Flatau & I. Hafekost (Eds.). Building for diversity, proceedings of the National Housing Conference 26-27 th Oct 2005, Perth, Western Australia. pp. 349-366.

This paper provides an analysis of the Home Modification and Maintenance program using the Home and Community Care Minimum Data set. It sets out to answer questions regarding access, equity and usage of current services. The findings indicate that there are significant State/Territory policy differences impacting Home Modification and Maintenance service delivery.

Bridge, C. & Kendig, H. (2005), Housing and older people: Environments, professionals and positive ageing, In V. Minichiello and I. Coulson (Eds.) Contemporary Issues in Gerontology: Promoting Positive Aging. N.Y: Allen & Unwin, pub. pp. 144-166.

This chapter overviews the issues currently facing older people and the helping professionals in regard to housing choices. It discussed when intervention is required in regard to housing choices of older people and it is significant in that it explored the factors influencing housing decision making from the perspective of the older person.

Bridge, C. , Quine, S., Parsons, A., & Kendig, H. (2001). Housing and care for younger and older adults with disabilities (Final Report). Sydney: Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), The University of Sydney Research Centre. Available online http://www.ahuri.edu.au

This reports on the linkages between housing and support programs and how they might best operate in order to deliver better service to their clients. This study was one of the few Australian projects to have looked at the policy linkages across housing, disability and care - and the first to explore the differences between the needs and experiences of younger and older people.

 

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