Acrostic Poem Collection
These six acrostic poems - Confidence, Understand, Autonomy, Timing, Trust, Change - were developed from interviews with residents as part of the OPTIMISER3 study on implementing onsite pharmacists in rural, regional, and remote residential aged care homes. They reflect residents' experiences with medications.
Created through thematic analysis of interview transcripts, each poem represents a core theme. Lines were crafted to capture sharded sentiments while preserving confidentiality. This arts-based approach amplifies resident voices through combining creativity with analytical rigour.
By blending creative expression with research, these poems bring findings to life and invite reflection on how safety and dignity intersect in everyday care.
Meet the Researchers
Dr Bella St Clair
Bella St Clair is an experienced qualitative and mixed-methods researcher at the University of Canberra, whose work explores innovative, arts-based approaches to research in aged care. Her current projects integrate poetry, narrative, and creative arts methods to amplify the voices of older adults and care providers, transforming qualitative data into expressive forms that foster empathy and understanding.
Bella’s research bridges traditional health sciences with creative inquiry, using arts-based dissemination to engage diverse audiences—from policymakers to community members. Through poetic representation and visual storytelling, she seeks to challenge conventional reporting and create spaces where lived experiences are honored and communicated with depth and dignity.
Her professional background includes roles in clinical governance, health care standards, and accreditation, which inform her understanding of systems and quality frameworks. In her current research, Bella reimagines these insights through creative methodologies that emphasize human connection, meaning-making, and aesthetic expression. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to ensure research findings resonate beyond academia—sparking dialogue, inspiring change, and shaping more compassionate care practices.
Dr Jennifer Sonter
Dr Jennifer Sonter is a research manager at the University of Canberra currently specialising in medication safety and new models of healthcare delivery in aged care across regional, rural and remote Australia. As an allied health researcher, educator and clinician, Jennifer is committed to improving health outcomes for older people and those living with chronic conditions through impactful research. Her diverse experience collaborating across disciplines, organisations and sectors has enabled her to support new and emerging clinician-researchers in addressing real-world healthcare concerns.
As a Faculty of Health academic, she contributes to national trials and mentors students in applied health science and services research. Jennifer has served as a consumer, member, facilitator and expert contributor for a diverse range of multi-disciplinary groups, from local community organisations to National Boards. She continues to provide care working clinically with vulnerable people and those receiving aged care.