CAP Research Seed Grants 2007
The commissioned projects selected for 2007-08 will cover:-
1. What the future holds: Older people as carers of adult dependant children with disabilities
2. MOTILITY 21: twenty-first century social engagement for the older citizen through social dance in
3. Perceived barrier and solutions to Fruit and Vegetable intake in Older People
4. Beyond 90 Together
5. The Prohibition by Law of Age Discrimination in Access to Goods, Facilities and Services: A Study of Common Law Jurisdictions
6. CAP: The use of the justification test in age discrimination cases
7. Digital Divide, Ageing and Online Legal Advice
8. Ageing and Social Exclusion among Former Political Prisoners in
9: Older for Older (O4O)
Further Details:-
1. What the future holds: Older people as carers of adult dependant children with disabilities
Dr Karola Dillenburger,
Phone 02870823620
Email: k.dillenburger@qub.ac.uk
Older people who are caring for adult children with disabilities are under tremendous stress because they may suffer health problems themselves; have financial problems due a lifetime of caring; may have to care on their own due to the death of their spouse; worry about the future care of their child; and may feel uncomfortable approaching professionals for help. This research will address issues of social exclusion of older parents as carers and thereby will offer an evidence base for policy development in relation to caring for older carers. Ultimately, the research will provide a resource for older people themselves, policy-makers, and practitioners, form the basis further large-scale research, and have implications for policy development with regard to older people as carers.
2. MOTILITY 21: twenty-first century social engagement for the older citizen through social dance in
Dr Jonathan Skinner,
Telephone: 028 90973705
Email: j.skinner@qub.ac.uk
This pilot research project intends to investigate one way of alleviating social isolation in the older citizen in Belfast, namely, through social dancing - a popular practice amongst the older citizen in Sacramento, US, modelled after ballroom 'tea dances' such as those found in the Blackpool Tower. Specifically, this pilot will collate qualitative (interviews, sense and QOL measurements) and quantitative evidence (heart rate, blood pressure, flexibility levels) from social dance teachers and practitioners to show the benefits of social dance in the older citizen. These findings will be written up into a development plan for social dancing in NI for the older citizen, publicized locally with the anticipated positive health findings from the local part of this study. The latter phase of the pilot will cover parts of
3. Perceived Barrier and solutions to Fruit and Vegetable intake in Older People
Dr Katherine Appleton,
Tel: 028 9097 4326
Email: k.appleton@qub.ac.uk
Dr Jayne Woodside,
Telephone: 028 90632585
Email: J.woodside@qub.ac.uk
This research aims to understand why intakes of fruit and vegetables are low in older people, and what can be done to improve this situation. Fruit and vegetable intakes in older people often fall below recommendations, yet fruit and vegetables are highly beneficial for physical and psychological health and well-being. The project asks older people directly about the barriers and solutions which they consider influence their fruit and vegetable intake. Responses will be investigated in relation to actual fruit and vegetable intake and various demographic variables previously found to be important in fruit and vegetable intake in the general population.
4. Beyond 90 Together
Dr Maeve Rea
Department of Geriatric Medicine
Public Health and Primary Care Medicine
Telephone 02890972156/2153
Email i.rea@qub.ac.uk
In Northern Ireland, we are identifying a group of 90 + year old brothers and sisters as part of the EU-funded, GEnetics of Healthy Ageing (GEHA) project (Franceschi et al., 2007), which aims to identify genes or gene groups which may be important in ‘successful ageing’. These ‘90+ sibling pairs or sometimes trios are a quite unique group of people who have very personal and fascinating life stories to tell.
Through the CAP Research Seed Grant we seek to build on this foundation by arranging for the 90+ year sibling pairs to tell their stories, link the stories with visual images, to produce a digitial storyline for our 90+ year old sibling pairs. It is anticipated that the study will contribute to a positive and affirmative image of healthy ageing and help ‘empower older people to transform how they are viewed by society’, ‘raise awareness and understanding of ageing’ and ‘celebrate the diversity of older people’s lives’.
5. The Prohibition by Law of Age Discrimination in Access to Goods, Facilities and Services: A Study of Common Law Jurisdictions
Telephone: 28 90973456;
Email: b.dickson@qub.ac.uk
Ms Lisa Glennon,
Telephone: 028 90973858
Email: l.glennon@qub.ac.uk
In several countries where the legal system operates on similar principles to those applying in
6. CAP: The use of the justification test in age discrimination cases
Rory O’Connell,
Telephone: 028 9097 3459
Email: r.oconnell@qub.ac.uk
The broadening of discrimination laws to include age discrimination brings with it new challenges for discrimination law. The circumstances in which age discrimination may be considered permissible may legitimately be though to be much wider than the circumstances in which race or sex or religious discrimination might be justifiable. This research examines the law in the
7. Digital Divide, Ageing and Online Legal Advice
Older people have been perceived as requiring support with regard to legal and soft law advice (for example the special practice area indicated by www.solicitorsfortheelderly.com) but they have also been that part of the population which is the least internet enabled. With the development of eGov, it is clear that there are a number of developing issues which merit study. Our aim in this research is to analyse these issues and to construct a set of parameters which those intending to provide legal advice (in its widest sense) via internet based resources should take into account in terms of good information system design.
Dr Subhajit Basu,
Mr Joe Duffy, Social Work Joe.duffy@qub.ac.uk
Prof. Philip Leith,
8. Ageing and Social Exclusion among Former Political Prisoners in
There is a significant cohort of some 30,000 ageing former political prisoners in NI, of whom around 55% are now in their 50s or 60s, yet we know little about their lives as older people. Former political prisoners suffer significant psychological disabilities, ill health and multiple social and economic disadvantages as a result of their criminalisation, experiences of conflict and imprisonment and we also know from research on analogous groups that their problems are likely to worsen with age. The proposed research will adopt a life course perspective to explore (i) how former political prisoners experience ageing, (ii) how negative attitudes to age and stigma impact on their self perceptions and the perceptions of others regarding their needs, entitlements and deserts, and (iii) how these exclusionary attitudes and practices might be challenged to promote the respect, fair treatment and social inclusion of all older people in Northern Irish Society.
Ms. Ruth Jamieson (QUB, School of Law) r.jamieson@qub.ac.uk
Dr Peter Shirlow (QUB, School of Law) p.shirlow@qub.ac.uk
Dr. Adrian Grounds, MD (Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and member of the Sentence Review Commission for NI.)
9: Older for Older (O4O)
This research is jointly funded by Cap and the European INTEREG funding programme. The project will utilise the capacity of older people as a community asset, in applying their skills, knowledge and experience to provide services that will help maintain other older people in their communities. The project will identify areas of opportunity where older people can develop and provide services that are relevant to local needs. Through implementing regional pilot projects, it will establish which models of service provision are feasible in different Northern Periphery (NP) areas of
The project is a partnership between
Dr Sally Shortall,
s.shortall@qub.ac.uk