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Objective: Research involving people with dementia is vital to appropriately inform policy and practice decisions affecting this population. As dementia‐care researchers, we frequently advocate to Human Research Ethics Committees for the right of people with dementia to choose whether to participate in research. This brief report provides some considerations for researchers and ethics committees. Method: Descriptive summary of principles that argue for inclusion of people with dementia in research studies. Results: Specifically excluding people living with dementia from research because of perceived cognitive impairment is inappropriate in light of human rights principles and the right to contribute to evidence‐based care. Conclusions: There is a difference between capacity to provide informed consent and ability to provide perspectives that are valid for each individual. Providing the opportunity for a person with dementia to participate in research and offering support to do this is a matter of human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Access to primary healthcare (PHC) services is key to improving health outcomes in rural areas. Unfortunately, little is known about which aspect of access is most important. The objective of this study was to determine the relative importance of different dimensions of access in the decisions of rural Australians to utilise PHC provided by general practitioners (GP). Methods Data were collected from residents of five communities located in 'closely' settled and 'sparsely' settled rural regions. A paired-comparison methodology was used to quantify the relative importance of availability, distance, affordability (cost) and acceptability (preference) in relation to respondents' decisions to utilise a GP service for non-emergency care. Results Consumers reported that preference for a GP and GP availability are far more important than distance to and cost of the service when deciding to visit a GP for non-emergency care. Important differences in rankings emerged by geographic context, gender and age. Conclusions Understanding how different dimensions of access influence the utilisation of PHC services is critical in planning the provision of PHC services. This study reports how consumers 'trade-off' the different dimensions of access when accessing GP care in rural Australia. The results show that ensuring 'good' access requires that policymakers and planners should consider other dimensions of access to services besides geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ways Rural Northwest Health supported consumers with dementia or cognitive impairment, along with their carers, living in the community and in residential aged care during an extended period of lockdown and restricted interactions with the outside world during COVID-19. Topics include broad range of measures to enable connection between our residential care consumers; and an extensive range of community health and allied health services.

The article presents a study on the experience of older men to access rural general practitioner (GP) services in Australia. The study asks older men residents in rural towns in Victoria and New South Wales regarding their experience on access to doctor or other health service. Result shows GP availability and high workload of GPs as major concerns expressed by older men. Other concerns include travel distance to access GP services, affordability, and accommodation factors like waiting time.