Research activities
The ACAA research team includes University researchers from diverse health, sports, and social science disciplines, postgraduate student researchers, as well as research affiliates from other universities, and community members as community affiliates.
Tūhono Tāngata – Connecting People Across Generations
2025 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To evaluate the experiences and expectations of those directly and indirectly impacted by trialling an intergenerational play initiative in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. Relevance to our purpose:
- Diverse, inclusive communities.
- Participation in community and social life.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Generations Connect, Albert-Eden Local Board, School of Sport & Recreation
Team members
Richard Wright, Eujeen Hwang, Hafsa Ali, Luigi Bercades
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
Evaluation report. Abstracts accepted for two presentations at the Australian Institute of Intergenerational Practice Conference, February, Sydney.
What interventions work for elder abuse?
2025 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To employ a realist review methodology to explore how, why, for whom, and under what circumstances elder abuse (EA) response interventions work. Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Ministry of Social Development (Rebecca Mowat PI)
Team members
Rebecca Mowat, Kay Shannon, Catherine Cook, Kiri Hunter, Amy Henry, Christina Xu
Support for family caregivers
2025 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To conduct a scoping review of the literature to identify, map, and analyse the availability, utilisation, and outcomes of formal support services for family caregivers of older adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
AUT FHES rolling fund
Team members
Kay Shannon, Rebecca Mowat, Ioana Mulipola, Christina Xu, Sherry Zhu
"Shed Research Development Group" – Growing the Capacity to Support More Older Men
2025
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To design ways to help older men to join a Shed, gaining benefits for themselves, their families and their communities. Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
- Diverse, inclusive communities.
- Participation in community and social life.
- Liveable spaces and places.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
University of Auckland's Co-Create Centre for Ageing Research. Men's Shed New Zealand.
Team members
Richard Wright, John Parsons, Kathy Peri, Gary Cheung, Chien Ting, Lana Chisholm
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
2 PhD scholarship proposals
Resident outcomes of homelike models of care in aged residential care
2024/2025 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
Compare the impact of the homelike and traditional models of care in Aged (ARC) on resident quality indicators and outcomes. Explain how nursing care is delivered in homelike and traditional ARC facilities. Develop a draft quality improvement tool for use in ARC facilities. Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Health Research Council Career Development Award (Kay Shannon)
Team members
Kay Shannon, Irene Zeng, David Jones, Katie Featherstone, Thérèse Jeffs
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
A report on the co-design phase of the study was presented at the Gerontological Society of America 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting (published abstract).
Avenues to Independence / Brothers in Arms
2021 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To capture and collate the health and wellbeing needs of contemporary veterans living in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. Relevance to our purpose:
- Participation in community and social life.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Ranfurly Veteran's Trust
Team members
Richard Wright, Kirsten Spencer, Carolyn Cairncross, Kevin Sheehy, Hafsa Ali
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
Interviews conducted with veterans. Presentation delivered at the 2024 British Society of Gerontology Conference. Manuscript under development.
Access 2 Change
2021 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To establish and evaluate the impact of offering sustainable age-friendly intergenerational play spaces in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. Relevance to our purpose:
- Participation in community and social life.
- Liveable spaces and places.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Decathlon Foundation, Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board, Auckland Council, Kolmar Sports Trust
Team members
Richard Wright, Nikki Singh, Manish Nand, Dion Enari, Lana Chisholm,
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
An action research project that secured over $150,000 of investment to build and maintain an outdoor fitness station at Papatoetoe Recreation Reserve (opened March 2024). Two community events have been hosted at the site with the local community, aimed at raising awareness and interest in the project. Workshop delivered at the 2023 Experience Summit. Conference presentations delivered at the 2024 Leisure Studies Association Conference, the 2024 Sport Management Australia and NZ Conference and the 2025 Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice Conference.
Glory Days / Time of Our Lives
2021 – ongoing
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To explore the feasibility of establishing a Sporting Memories Network in Aotearoa New Zealand. Relevance to our purpose:
- Diverse, inclusive communities.
- Participation in community and social life.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
AUT FHES Student Summer Scholarship (2021). FHES Rolling Fund (2023)
Team members
Richard Wright, Kay Shannon, Manish Nand, Daniel Capeto
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
Results from the initial report, presented to the Sporting Memories Network, resulted in the establishment of a Charitable Trust to deliver the recommendations, with Dr Wright appointed as Chair. The Sporting Memories Club was established in Kerikeri, Northland, in July 2025. Poster presented at the 2023 NZAG Conference. Conference paper presented at the 2023 World Leisure Congress. Workshop delivered at the 2024 British Society of Gerontology Conference. Conference paper to be presented at the 2025 Sport Management Association of Australia and NZ Conference. Two manuscripts under development.
Ageing Well Through Eating, Sleeping, Socialising and Mobility
2019–2023
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
- Participation in community and social life.
- Liveable spaces and places.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
National Science Challenge, University of Auckland.
Team members
Professor Ngaire Kerse, Wendy Wrapson
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
$5m Ageing Well NSC grant.
Older adult digital inclusion
2019–2023
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
This study explored whether ARC facilities provide opportunities to socially connect online and whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected the provision of these opportunities. Relevance to our purpose:
- Participation in community and social life.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
InternetNZ, Health Research Council
Team members
Wendy Wrapson
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
A $27,000 grant from InternetNZ and a $29,988 HRC Activation Grant. A published report on InternetNZ's website, and articles in the New Zealand Medical Journal and The Conversation. Media appearances on TechTV and radio, and coverage in the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa newsletter.
Age-friendly communities' evaluation.
2018
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
To evaluate the process of implementing age-friendly approaches in Kāpiti Coast District, New Plymouth and Hamilton, also referred to as pilot sites. Relevance to our purpose:
- Diverse, inclusive communities.
- Participation in community and social life.
- Liveable spaces and places.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Office for Seniors, Ministry of Social Development
Team members
Stephen Neville, Jeffery Adams, Sara Napier, Kay Shannon
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
The Age-Friendly Community Evaluation Report prepared for the Office for Seniors Ministry of Social Development has informed the work on age-friendly community initiatives funded by MSD across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Healthy Pacific Grandparents (HPG) Study
2017–2019
Relevance to our scope/purpose for being.
Relevance to our purpose:
- Negotiating health issues.
- Diverse, inclusive communities.
- Participation in community and social life.
- Liveable spaces and places.
Funders & supporters (internal and external)
Ageing Well National Science Challenge
Team members
Professor Janis Paterson, Wendy Wrapson,
Outputs and outcomes (impact)
A grant proposal that secured $940,000 in funding. Increased understanding of Pacific peoples' perspectives on wellbeing. Directly informed a podiatry intervention (developed in conjunction with AUT's Department of Podiatry) to examine and improve Pacific elders' foot health.
Applied research: never2old exercise programme
N2O started as a strength and conditioning programme focused on assessing and improving the physical fitness of older adults. It's now an award winning active ageing programme.
Recent Publications
We have a large team consisting of experts across a range of fields. Our team of researchers regularly publishes articles in internationally renowned publications.