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Abstract: Rich social relationships contribute to improved well‐being and health outcomes, yet aged care client assessments tend to focus almost exclusively on physical issues. We aim to explore the experiences of aged care staff following their use of social engagement and well‐being instruments as part of routine assessments for home‐care clients. The social engagement (Australian Community Participation Questionnaire, ACPQ) and well‐being (ICEpop CAPability Measure for Older Adults, ICECAP‐O) instruments were embedded into the centralised information system of an Australian aged care provider. Staff administered these instruments during routine client assessments across a 9‐month period involving 289 assessments. Semistructured interviews with 12 staff members were conducted and themes explored using qualitative content analysis. Key factors related to the acceptability of instrument adoption were found. Staff reported the instruments were convenient to use and were valuable in eliciting information for care plan development. Staff found that the instruments complemented their standard assessment procedures and did not disrupt their routine workload. They emphasised that the information gained greatly assisted their discussions with clients, identified social needs, and enhanced client involvement in decisions about desired services. There were also some challenging elements, including staff concerns regarding their ability to deal with emotional responses from clients evoked by the survey questions. ACPQ and ICECAP‐O are useful tools for identifying psychosocial client needs, are feasible for use by large‐scale aged care organisations and provide valuable information to guide decision‐making about services. Future research should identify the long‐term effects on improving social participation and client outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Social networks have a critical role in delaying dementia. • Being male, using more aged care services was related to higher cognitive function. • Higher social networks with family and friends was linked with better cognition. Social engagement has been linked to preserved cognitive functioning in later life. Yet, little is known about the specific network factors that best predict cognitive function in older adults. This study aimed to (i) characterize the quality and quantity of interpersonal relationships and (ii) explore the relationship between social network types and cognitive function in older adults receiving home- and community-based aged care services. Participants (n = 175) receiving aged care services participated in a structured interview regarding their cognitive function (Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified), social networks (Lubben Social Network Scale-12) and quality of life (European Quality of Life Scale). Socio-demographic and aged care service use factors were obtained from provider electronic management systems. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the size and composition of clients' social networks, aged care service use and cognition. The sample had a median age of 81 years (range 61-96) and most were women (65.8%). Over a third (37.6%) had cognitive impairment and reported moderately high social networks. Males had higher social networks, were receiving fewer hours but more types of services, and had significantly better cognitive performance. Age, network size and composition were not associated with cognitive performance. More extensive social networks were associated with maintenance of cognitive health for older adults in community aged care. Whether this is causal or a marker of better cognitive health requires a longitudinal approach, and ideally should be tested with interventions at community levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]