UnitingCare Community Options
Welcome to Deakin University School of Nursing’s unique community aged care partnership! 
The UnitingCare Community Options (UCCO) - Deakin University Partnership was established in April 2006 to facilitate research that leads to improvements in the quality of life of carers and care recipients in community aged care. Within that context, the partnership aims to.
- Conduct research in the areas of quality, safety and risk management; thereby enhancing the independence and wellbeing of individuals in community-based care settings.
- Provide academic and professional leadership.
- Build research capacity among staff.
- Facilitate the integration of research findings into advocacy, educational programs, health care policy and professional practice.
- Develop and support research collaboration between UCCO, Deakin University and other partner organisations.
The partnership’s research activities are aligned with the School of Nursing research focus on Quality and Risk Management in Clinical and Aged Care Settings. UCCO works with people who are frail, people with disabilities and their families or support networks, to ensure they receive what they require to sustain their lives in the community and to create positive futures. UCCO provides case management as well as innovative ‘community options’ services to around 1300 people in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
We are currently developing four research streams: i) policy and community aged care reform, ii) development of innovative, evidence-based interventions, iii) service evaluation and workforce, and iv) resilience promotion and preventative health in social care. If you have questions regarding our research or would like to receive more information about UCCO’s activities, please feel free to contact us.
Dr Goetz Ottmann
Senior Research Fellow
