Latest News

New Report Identifies Importance of Life Course Perspective to Policy Planning (May 2011)

A report into the developmental welfare state was launched today by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD, at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. The research report is entitled ’Community Engagement in Ireland’s Developmental Welfare State: A Study of the Life Cycle Approach.’ The research was funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Read the press release.


Pictured at the launch of ’Community Engagement in Ireland’s Developmental Welfare State: A study of the Life Cycle Approach’ by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway was Professor Tom Scharf, Director, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton.

Read the Report here.

The Lifecourse Social Policy Agenda for the Next Government (February 2011) 

The recently formed Lifecourse Institute at NUI Galway brings together three Research centres in the university with a focus on older people, families & children and persons with disabilities.  Its primary function is to produce research that supports innovative policy reform across the lifecycle that enables citizens to achieve their potential and live fulfilling and productive lives.This ‘Critical Perspectives’ paper is intended to provide a succinct statement of the major policy challenges facing the next Government across the lifecourse.  It is intended as a public service at a critical moment in our history when major social policy choices will have to be made affecting future generations. Read the paper here

NUI Galway Researcher Contributes to UK End Loneliness Campaign (February 2011)

Thomas Scharf, Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway.

A leading researcher at NUI Galway has helped to shape a new campaign that aspires to end loneliness amongst older people in Britain. The Campaign to End Loneliness, which was launched recently, aims to help people create and maintain personal connections in older age. Professor Thomas Scharf, Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway, has been involved since the early stages of the Campaign. Read more

 
Conference Report (Sept 2010)

The conference report on Life Enhancement for older people is now available for download here.

NUI Galway Professor Raises Profile of Research on Ageing (Sept 10)

Research on ageing led by Professor Tom Scharf, Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway, has been profiled in a new brochure that seeks to raise the profile of social science research in the UK.

Published jointly by the Academy of Social Sciences, the British Society of Gerontology, and Age UK, the brochure was recently launched in the House of Commons, London and is part of the Making the Case for the Social Sciences series. The brochure highlights projects undertaken by researchers on ageing that have had a significant impact on public policy or social behaviour, and helped society to address some of the challenges that are associated with demographic change. Read more about the brochure

The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) is pleased to announce a new small grants programme to support greater use of existing research on ageing issues. It is offering up to €80,000 for research projects involving the use of existing data sources in Ireland, North and South.

CARDI’s Director, Dr Roger O’Sullivan said: “CARDI is delighted to be launching this new data mining grant programme. There are many data sources in Ireland, North and South, relevant to ageing research which may not be exploited to the extent that they could be. Revisiting existing data sets can help create new insights and is a valuable way to open up debate and discussions on issues relating to ageing.”

“CARDI is allocating up to €80,000 in total to fund data mining projects with individual grants ranging from €5,000 to €20,000. We hope these projects will provide valuable information to help inform better policy making and practice which can in turn improve the lives of older people,” he added.

Sources may be statistical data issued by bodies such as the Central Statistics Office or the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency or data collected by government departments or administrative, regulatory or inspection bodies. To maximise the use of existing data this programme will support research involving the extraction, collation and analysis of existing data from an all Ireland perspective and summarising it into information relevant for policy or practice.

Applications are invited from individuals, or groups from academic, non-profit and voluntary and community sectors. Applications are now open for CARDI’s Data Mining Grant Programme and deadline for entries is 12 noon 1st October, 2010.

Full terms of reference and application forms are available at www.cardi.ie/grantprogramme or by emailing info@cardi.ie or calling 00 44 28 9069 0066.

More information:
Nicola Donnelly, Communications Officer, CARDI. Tel: 00 353(0) 867927684, E: nicola@cardi.ie
Paul McGill, Strategic Research Officer, CARDI. Tel: 00353(0) 867 904 158, E: paul@cardi.ie

NUI Galway Receives Grants for Ageing Research (Sept 10)

NUI Galway has been granted funding for two research projects focussing on older people by The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI). The Centre recently granted four projects funding amounting to almost € 300,000 on a national level, and NUI Galway projects account for half of them. The research is aimed at improving the lives of older people and informing future policy for an ageing population in Ireland.

NUI Galway’s Professor Eamon O’ Shea, from the Irish Centre of Social Gerontology is Principal Investigator on “Social Exclusion and Older People in Diverse Rural Communities”. This project brings together multidisciplinary researchers from NUI Galway and Queen’s University Belfast with community organisations Rural Community Network and FORUM Letterfrack. The group will examine social exclusion among older people living in diverse rural areas and investigate ways to prevent social exclusion. Read more about the CARDI grants

12 Older People from Galway City complete Ageing with Confidence Programme.(June10)

The Ageing with Confidence Group Programme is a holistic approach to health promotion for older people. It was developed by Age and Opportunity and has just been delivered in Galway by Galway City Partnership and the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUIG.

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Assist and facilitate people to explore their own ageing
• Challenge the myths and stereotyping that lead to ageism
• Provide information on physical, psychological and social aspects of growing older.

12 Older People from various parts of Galway City completed the 8 week course which was delivered by 2 facilitators from the Irish Centre from Social Gerontology. They received their certificates in Galway City Partnership last week.Aine Ni Leime, from the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology said: “We are delighted to have collaborated with Galway City Partnership in introducing the first Ageing with Confidence course to older people in Galway City. This is an example of a very successful co-operative venture between NUI, Galway and Galway City Partnership who operate the Local Community Development Programme”Participants included a variety of men and women from different areas across the city.

Ageing with Confidence uses a psycho-educational approach and involves a high degree of engagement from participants who explore their experiences of the challenges and opportunities of growing older in Ireland today. As well as gaining information on the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of ageing, they shared with each other solutions to problems they have encountered. “I’d like to congratulate the participants on this first Ageing with Confidence course who contributed so much to its success through their whole-hearted engagement. In their feedback they said that as well as learning facts about ageing they enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences in a safe respectful environment and getting to know the other participants”  

One of the participants Mary Mc Anespie said “The whole course was very informative and practical – everything had relevance to our own lives. It was also very well presented and organised”“The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology looks forward to continuing to engage with Older People in the community and with Galway City Partnership in the future” Ms. Ni Leime said.The Ageing with Confidence Programme was developed for both men and women who are over 55 and is free of charge.

If you are interested in finding out more about the programme, contact Maeve Murray, Community Development Project Officer in Galway City Partnership at 091 773466. 

 

ICSG / COPE Conference for Older People (May 10)

The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway and COPE Galway Senior Support Services are co-hosting a participatory conference on Life Enhancement for Older People across the themes of participation and civic engagement, empowerment and advocacy on Tuesday May 4th at the Galway Bay Hotel from 10.30am.. This event will have a special focus on how research can involve older people and be used by older people to benefit them. Group discussion will form a major part of the programme and will contribute to a short conference report.

The purpose of this Conference is:

To present existing research on life enhancement for older people in an accessible format to older people

To provide older people with the opportunity to discuss participation in society, empowerment and advocacy.

To demonstrate how research knowledge can enhance the voice of older people and to support their participation in advocacy and lobbying activities.

To book a place at the conference please contact the following with your name, telephone number and postal address:

COPE Galway
Tel: 091 778750
Email: fundraising@copegalway.ie                          
R.S.V.P   21^st April 2010

Read more about the conference

Ageing with Confidence Trainee Graduates (Jan 10)

Fourteen graduate from the Ageing with Confidence Training Programme which was run recently by Age and Opportunity through the Galway City Partnership, Galway Rural Development and the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway.

(Photo: Paula Delaney)

At the presentation of certificates by Áine Brady TD, Minister for Older People, to graduates of the Ageing with Confidence Facilitators Training course were: 

From left to right:  Sandra Hannon, Patricia De Lappe, Seamus Gallagher, Brid Gavin O’Connell, Laurie Walsh, Fiona Blaney, Mary Seale, Eleanor Hough, Mary McDermott, Ageing with Confidence Trainer; Aine Ní Leime, ICSG, Emma Donovan, Breda Lymer. (Mary McDermott, Eilish Redmond and Helen Power are Ageing with Confidence Trainers, the others in the photos are graduates of the course). Christine de Largy of ICSG also completed the training course, but is not in the photo.

The Future is Old! Why investment in ageing pays off (Nov 09)

The Roundstone Colloquium Seminar Series "Unfolding Ideas" presents: The Future is Old! Why investment in ageing pays off which will be delivered by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology on November 11th at 1pm at Folding Landscapes, end of Quayside, Roundstone, Co. Galway. Bus departs for Roundstone from the Quadrangle, NUI Galway at 11.30am. This seminar is free and all are welcome to attend.

R.S.V.P to icsg@nuigalway.ie or call 091 495461


National Report to Highlight Role of Migrant Carers in the Care of Older People

Friday, 25 September, 2009: Ireland’s older population are being cared for in large numbers by one of the most marginalised groups within the labour force, migrant workers.  That is according to a report by NUI Galway’s Irish Centre for Gerontology, launched today by the Minister for Older People, Aine Brady T.D.

 

The Role of Migrant Care Workers in Ageing Societies research report examines the role of registered nurses and care assistants from other countries in caring for older people in Ireland. This group now account for one in three of the Irish older adult care workforce, which is twice the proportion of foreign carers in the general health care sector.  

 

Written by Dr Kieran Walsh and Professor Eamon O’Shea from the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway, the research confirms the important and highly valued role of migrant workers in the care of older people, both in home and long-stay residential care settings. However, the report also highlights a number of issues associated with migrant care provision for older people in Ireland. These include: communication, language proficiency, cultural understanding, education and training, discrimination and inadequate regulation. Read the Executive Summary or the full report here.

The role of migrant care workers in ageing societies is an international collaborative research project, involving Ireland, the UK, Canada and the US. To download the UK report and executive summary, click here. To view the Canadian national report click here.

ICSG Leads Cross-border Research Network on Rural Ageing

NUI Galway has been announced among the recipients of the Research Grants Programme by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development (CARDI). The CARDI programme aims to promote north-south research partnerships that bring together different subject areas to look at issues affecting older people in new ways. The research will involve older people themselves and the findings will be designed to improve policies and services for them.

The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway, with Queen's University Belfast, the School of Geography at NUI Galway, Rural Community Network and FORUM will establish a cross-border research network to explore healthy ageing in rural communities. The network, entitled Healthy Ageing in Rural Communities (HARC), will draw on interdisciplinary expertise in the areas of gerontology, economics, spatial planning, rural geography, social care and public health.

Professor Bob Stout, Queen's University Belfast, Co-chair of the grants panel, said: “CARDI's wish is to get all the partners together and stimulate research that will bring benefits to the daily lives of older people”.

The Healthy Ageing in Rural Communities research network will commence in September 2009 and will run to the following year.

Speaking about the grant award, Kieran Walsh, Research Officer at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway, said: “Although there is an over representation of older people in rural areas throughout Ireland, research into rural ageing has been limited to small-scale studies with a total absence of any cross-border coordination. HARC will allow us to share existing knowledge, identify key research questions for future study, and ultimately increase the capacity for rural ageing research in the fields of ageing and rurality across Ireland”.

HARC is a part of a broader research programme on rural ageing at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology. Focussing on the economics of ageing, technology and ageing, and rural ageing, the multidisciplinary research centre has been awarded more than € 5 million in funding since its establishment in 2006.

Say No to Ageism Week

As part of ‘Say No to Ageism week’, the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG) is organizing two events. ICSG is hosting a seminar entitled “An Age-friendly Society in a time of Recession”. The seminar speaker is Niall Crowley, former CEO of the Equality Authority. The talk will take place in the Moore Institute at 1pm on Tuesday, the 19^th May. All are welcome.

The Equality Office here at NUI, Galway in conjunction with the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology have organized an AgeWise workshop, run by trainers from Age & Opportunity, which aims to provide information on older people and ageing in Ireland and challenge myths and stereotypes about ageing and older people. This workshop takes place on Thursday May 21^st in the Moore Institute.  To register for this free event, please contact Brenda Fallon by email on brenda.fallon@nuigalway.ie

Volunteering of older persons and the role of public policies Conference

The conference took place on the 11th March in the European Commission in Brussels. This was the first European Commission event to focus specifically on the role of older volunteers in Europe and presentations were given by speakers from several European countries including the UK, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Norway, France and Slovenia on volunteering and public policy in their countries. There were also presentations on older volunteering European-wide and on the oppoetunities for co-operation and networking and exchange programmes for volunteers across Europe. Marian Harkin, the Irish Independent MEP spoke about the increasing recognition that the role of volunteering by older people is achieving at EU level. She announced that 2011 has been designated the EU Year of Volunteering and 2012 as the EU Year of Active Ageing.

The conference was attended by two members of the Ballinasloe Active Retirement Association - Jane Treacy and Douglas Rafter, by Paudge Connolly, Development Officer of the Irish Senior Citizen's Parliament, Evelyn Moran of the Galway Division of the Irish Senior Citizen's Parliament and Aine Ni Leime, of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology.

CARDI - Ageing Research Programme

CARDI – Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland are holding an information session with regard to CALL 1 of their Ageing Research Programme. This session will be hosted by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology Friday February 6^th at 1.30pm in the Moore Institute Seminar Room at the National University of Ireland Galway.

For further information on the grant programme please see link: www.cardi.ie/grantprogramme

 

Irish Health Economists to meet at NUI Galway

The Health Economics Association of Ireland, set up in 2001 to foster the sharing of information related to health economics, will have its next symposium and meeting at NUI Galway on February 5^th, 2009.

Health Economics Association of Ireland (HEAI) Meeting 2009
Date: Thursday February 5^th 2009
Start 1pm
Finish 4pm 
Venue: The Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities and Social Studies at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Read more about the symposium.

New funding from CARDI will boost research on older people

The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) has launched a grants programme to improve policies and services for older people. It is inviting applications for grants to fund cross-border research or to create networks of academics and the public, private and voluntary sectors that will examine issues that arise out of an ageing society in Ireland, north and south. More information about the grants, including an application form that can be completed on-line, is on the website www.cardi.ie/grantprogramme or email info@cardi.ie.

 

Diploma in Social Gerontology Graduates (October 2008)

Missing from Class Photo - Hilary Scanlan and Bernadette O'Leary

Fourteen students have graduated from the first Diploma initiative at the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology. The Diploma is a two-year programme – the first cycle of which ran from September 2006 to May, 2008. The programme includes a mixture of conventional lectures and visiting speakers; this gives students access to the expertise and experience of a wide range of researchers, academics and practitioners in the area of ageing. The course facilitates a high degree of participation from the students and encourages them to contribute their own knowledge and experience to the programme. The students are from diverse backgrounds in terms of age, occupation, life experience and educational background. They brought a wealth of enthusiasm to the course and the standards achieved are very high.

SHARE Launch (October 2008)

Researchers at the Irish Centre for Gerontology, NUI Galway have co-published the results from the first Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The objective of the study is to identify the key issues for people aged 50 and over in Ireland which will help inform policy makers, particularly regarding the financial, health and social inclusion aspects for an ageing economy. Read more about the launch

IRCHSS (October 2008)

Congratulations to Dr Gemma Carney who has been successful in securing an award under the recent IRCHSS Research Development Initiative Programme. Gemma's proposal entitled "Comparing Third Sector Lobbies in the Developmental Welfare State: a participatory policy analysis of institutional contexts and decision making strategies across the Life Cycle". The central objective of this research is to establish whether the lifecycle approach encourages members of the community and voluntary pillar to develop collective mobilising strategies towards lobbying and bargaining within social partnership.

User Forum - Who cares for Older Citizens living in County Galway?” (October 2008)

As part of their development and promotion of an holistic and positive view of ageing, the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG) recently held a pilot user form for older citizens. The forum, comprised of 17 older citizens living within County Galway, who deliberated on: ‘Who cares for Older Citizens living in County Galway?” Drawing on their own life long experiences, the forum pooled their understanding of the availability of and access to, support and services that aim to promote optimum quality of life and secure independent living.

The forum’s goal was to identify some common issues/concerns and in small practical and achievable ways, to address at least one of these within an agreed timescale.  An Advisory Group consisting of older person service providers and independents is committed to responding to at least one of the issues within a realistic and cost effective time scale.
 

Effecting change takes time and as a pilot, the user forum provided an opportunity to both explore new ways of citizens to engage with service providers and vice versa and also to open up new forms of dialogue.   It is hoped that potentially on going actions may effect positive change in some aspect of health and social care service provision for older persons in County Galway.

Report Shows Investment In Mental Health Care Will Benefit Economy (Sept 2008)

The Mental Health Commission today published a report - The Economics of Mental Health Care in Ireland - prepared by Eamon O’Shea and Brendan Kennelly of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology and Department of Economics, NUI Galway, showing the economic benefits of investment in services to deal with mental health problems. Such problems cost the economy over € 3 billion a year. Read the press release

Scholars Conduct Research on Chronic Pain at NUI Galway (July 08)

Leading researchers in pain medicine and health economics at the Centre for Pain Research, NUI Galway will supervise two Health Research Board-funded summer scholars in projects on Chronic Pain over the coming months, following a highly competitive awards scheme for summer research scholarships.

Edel Smith, a second year economics and maths students and Gerard Healy, a second year medicine student will be supervised by Dr Brenda Gannon, Senior Researcher, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG) and Drs Brian McGuire and David Finn, Co-Directors of the Centre for Pain Research, NUI Galway, respectively. Read more about this research            

Ethnography Matters (March 2008)

Welcome to the second edition of Ethnography Matters. The Ethnographic component of the TRIL (Technology Research for Independent Living) project is located at the ICSG. This bulletin will keep you in touch with Ethnographic developments and research within the TRIL Centre. Read the bulletin.

€1.5 million Intel funding for Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (January 2007)

The Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI, Galway has been awarded €1.5 million from the Intel Corporation with the support of the IDA for the development of an ethnographic gerotechnology research team within the ICSG. This team will inform the design, application and usability of new technologies to enhance the quality of life and independence of older people as a part of the newly launched Technology and Research for Independent Living (TRIL). TRIL is a virtual centre, established as a part of Intel’s European Health Research and Innovation Capacity and involves cross-collaboration among the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), University College Dublin and Trinity College. For more information, read the press release

Older And Bolder Campaign For Equality For Older People Launched (November 2006)

Five organisations have come together to work for equality for older people under the banner of the Older and Bolder campaign.  The groups involved are Age Action Ireland, Age and Opportunity, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament and the Senior Help Line. Speaking at the launch was Professor Eamon O’Shea, from NUI Galway’s Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, who assisted the Older and Bolder campaign in the preparation of its position paper. Read more about the campaign.

Upcoming Events 2011

November 2nd and 3rd 2011
A major international conference, "Ageing Globally – Ageing Locally", taking place 2 & 3 November 2011, hosted by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) will address key issues arising from this global phenomenon.		For more information contact Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland, Forestview, Purdy’s Lane, Belfast BT8 7ZX. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9069 0066 Email: conference@cardi.ie