Dr Maree Petersen is a lead investigator on a number of research projects concerned with housing and older people. A program of research over the past six years has comprised three projects concerned with understanding older people's homelessness in Australia, addressing the housing and support needs of older women experiencing homelessness, and advocating for the intersection of housing, homelessness and aged care policy. A new ARC Discovery grant will add to this program of research with a large qualitative study examining the life course circumstances that result in insecure housing tenancy in old age. The project aims to identify the critical points at which intervention will prevent the emergence of housing disadvantage.
Maree has a longstanding interest in older people's access to community aged care. She was a CI on an ARC project concerned with rural older Australian's wellbeing seeking to understand the experience of growing old in rural and remote areas, and access to health and aged care services. A project concerned with how older renters manage their health in private rental housing, in particular accessing home maintenance and modifications, extends her concern with the wellbeing of poor older people.
How older people manage the financial and contractual obligations in retirement village life brings attention to the difficulties people with limited resources experience in managing their residency.
A social work background brings a focus on disadvantaged older people to her research, in particular the connections between health and wellbeing of poor older people, housing, and the community they live.
Dr Petersen teaches in social work, and supervises students in social gerontology; and housing, homelessness research. She is Program Lead for the Masters of Social Work Studies program.
Findings from a national project concerned with preventing older people homelessness provided empiricial understanding that older people's homelessness in Australia is predominately a pathway arising from renting in the private market. This project also examined approriate policy and practice interventions to prevent, rehouse, and support older people. Invitations to present as several housing conferences; as well as consumer and service provider forums provided opportunity to disseminate results. This has led to ongoing relationships with service providers across housing and community care for older people, and presenting at the Senate Committee of Housing Affordability.
Closely aligned but distinct is research on housing and suport to assist older women experiencing homelessness. This project received extensive media coverage across print, radio and television venues. Politicans has requested this report. I along with the Mercy Foundation, communities agencies specialising in this area work together in a national group to advocate for housing for older women.
A study in south east Queensland on understanding the financial and contractural obligations in relation to retirement village entry, residency and exit was published at the time there was considerable attention to retirement village contracts.
Journal Article: "Although we're isolated, we're not really isolated': The value of information and communication technology for older people in rural Australia
Berg, Turi, Winterton, Rachel, Petersen, Maree and Warburton, Jeni (2017) "Although we're isolated, we're not really isolated': The value of information and communication technology for older people in rural Australia. Australasian Journal On Ageing, 36 4: 313-317. doi:10.1111/ajag.12449
Journal Article: Living in a retirement village: choice, contracts, and constraints
Petersen, Maree, Tilse, Cheryl and Cockburn, Tina (2017) Living in a retirement village: choice, contracts, and constraints. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 31 3: 1-14. doi:10.1080/02763893.2017.1280580
Journal Article: Brisbane Common Ground evaluation: final report
Parsell, Cameron, Petersen, Maree, Moutou, Ornella, Culhane, Dennis, Lucio, Ed and Dick, Alan (2016) Brisbane Common Ground evaluation: final report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Department of Housing and Public Works
The life course of older people in precarious housing
(2018–2021) ARC Discovery Projects
Tasmanian Home and Community Care Program Client Group Analysis
(2014–2015) Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services
(2013–2016) La Trobe University
Understanding what factors impact hospital social workers prioritisation of referrals; a qualitative study.
Doctor Philosophy
Action research into local access to primary health services for people who are living homeless
Doctor Philosophy
Risk Factors for Familial Elder Abuse: Do They Differ as a Function of Abuse Type?
Doctor Philosophy
Jones, Andrew and Petersen, Maree (2014). Older people. In Chris Chamberlain, Guy Johnson and Catherine Robinson (Ed.), Homelessness in Australia, an introduction (pp. 135-154) Sydney, NSW, Australia: NewSouth Publishing.
Berg, Turi, Winterton, Rachel, Petersen, Maree and Warburton, Jeni (2017) "Although we're isolated, we're not really isolated': The value of information and communication technology for older people in rural Australia. Australasian Journal On Ageing, 36 4: 313-317. doi:10.1111/ajag.12449
Living in a retirement village: choice, contracts, and constraints
Petersen, Maree, Tilse, Cheryl and Cockburn, Tina (2017) Living in a retirement village: choice, contracts, and constraints. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 31 3: 1-14. doi:10.1080/02763893.2017.1280580
Brisbane Common Ground evaluation: final report
Parsell, Cameron, Petersen, Maree, Moutou, Ornella, Culhane, Dennis, Lucio, Ed and Dick, Alan (2016) Brisbane Common Ground evaluation: final report Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Department of Housing and Public Works
Cost offsets of supportive housing: evidence for social work
Parsell, Cameron, Petersen, Maree and Culhane, Dennis (2016) Cost offsets of supportive housing: evidence for social work. British Journal of Social Work, 47 5: 1534-1553. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcw115
The Space of Family Care-Giving in Australian Aged Care Facilities: Implications for Social Work
Petersen, Maree, Wilson, Jill, Wright, Olivia, Ward, Elizabeth and Capra, Sandra (2016) The Space of Family Care-Giving in Australian Aged Care Facilities: Implications for Social Work. British Journal of Social Work, 46 1: 81-97. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcu108
Addressing older women's homelessness: service and housing models
Petersen, Maree (2015) Addressing older women's homelessness: service and housing models. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 50 4: 419-438.
Winterton, Rachel, Warburton, Jeni, Keating, Norah, Petersen, Maree, Berg, Turi and Wilson, Jill (2015) Understanding the influence of community characteristics on wellness for rural older adults: A meta-synthesis. Journal of Rural Studies, 45 320-327. doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.12.010
Single-site supportive housing: tenant perspectives
Parsell, Cameron, Petersen, Maree and Moutou, Ornella (2015) Single-site supportive housing: tenant perspectives. Housing Studies, 30 8: 1189-1209. doi:10.1080/02673037.2015.1009874
Homeless for the first time in later life: an Australian study
Petersen, Maree and Parsell, Cameron (2014) Homeless for the first time in later life: an Australian study. Housing Studies, 30 3: 368-391. doi:10.1080/02673037.2014.963522
Preventing first time homelessness amongst older Australians
Petersen, Maree, Parsell, Cameron, Phillips, Rhonda and White, Gentry (2014) Preventing first time homelessness amongst older Australians Melbourne, VIC, Australia: AHURI (Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute)
Addressing later life homelessness
Petersen, Maree and Jones, Andrew (2013) Addressing later life homelessness Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research
Petersen, Maree and Minnery, John (2013) Understanding daily life of older people in a residential complex: the contribution of Lefebvre's social space. Housing Studies, 28 6: 822-844. doi:10.1080/02673037.2013.768333
Residential complexes in Queensland, Australia: A space of segregation and ageism?
Petersen, Maree and Warburton, Jeni (2012) Residential complexes in Queensland, Australia: A space of segregation and ageism?. Ageing and Society, 32 1: 60-84. doi:10.1017/S0144686X10001534
Homelessness and older Australians: Developing a research evidence base
Petersen, Maree and Jones, Andrew (2011) Homelessness and older Australians: Developing a research evidence base. Parity, 24 9: 31-32.
The Eden model: Innovation in Australian aged care?
Petersen, M and Warbuton, J (2010) The Eden model: Innovation in Australian aged care?. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 29 3: 126-129. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2010.00419.x
A geography of older women at risk of homelessness in Brisbane, Queensland
Petersen, M. (2012). A geography of older women at risk of homelessness in Brisbane, Queensland. In: 6th Australasian Housing Researcher's Conference, Adelaide, SA, Australia, (). 8-10 February 2012.
Older Australians experiencing homelessness
Petersen, M. (2012). Older Australians experiencing homelessness. In: Abstracts of the Australian Association of Gerontology, 45th National Conference. 45th National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, Brisbane, Australia, (45-45). 20-23 November 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2012.00655.x
The making of home in a residential complex
Petersen, M. (2010). The making of home in a residential complex. In: Abstracts of the 43nd National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology. 43nd National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology, Hobart , Tas., Australia, (32-32). 17-19 November 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2010.00481.x
Understanding food in aged care facilities: Findings from a case study
Petersen, M., Wilson, J., Wright, O. and Capra, S. (2010). Understanding food in aged care facilities: Findings from a case study . In: Australasian Journal on Ageing: Abstracts of the 43rd National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology. 43rd National Conference of the Australian Association of Gerontology. Islands of Ageing: Building Bridges for people, policy and practice, Hobart, TAS, Australia, (32-32). 17-19 November 2010. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2010.00481.x
Jones, Andrew, Povey, Jenny, Ferris, Jason and Petersen, Maree (2015) Tasmanian HACC program client group analysis: stage 1 report. Prepared for the Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania The University of Queensland: Institute for Social Science Research
Older women's pathways out of homelessness in Australia: report for the Mercy Foundation
Petersen, Maree and Parsell, Cameron (2014) Older women's pathways out of homelessness in Australia: report for the Mercy Foundation St. Lucia, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland
Spaces of Ageing: the distinctive geographies of residential complexes
Maree Petersen (2009). Spaces of Ageing: the distinctive geographies of residential complexes PhD Thesis, School of Social Work and Human Services, The University of Queensland.
The life course of older people in precarious housing
(2018–2021) ARC Discovery Projects
Tasmanian Home and Community Care Program Client Group Analysis
(2014–2015) Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services
(2013–2016) La Trobe University
Evaluation of the Brisbane Common Ground Initiative
(2013–2015) Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works
Older Women's Pathways out of Homelessness in Australia
(2013) The Mercy Foundation Limited
Preventing first time homelessness amongst older Australians
(2012–2013) Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited
Understanding what factors impact hospital social workers prioritisation of referrals; a qualitative study.
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Action research into local access to primary health services for people who are living homeless
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Risk Factors for Familial Elder Abuse: Do They Differ as a Function of Abuse Type?
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Experiences of supported accommodation for people with a mental illness
Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2016) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: