The opportunity of ageing research

1. The opportunity of ageing research Launch of the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland Dublin 3.4.08 Professor Anthea Tinker, Institute of Gerontology, King’s College London anthea.tinker@kcl.ac.uk

2. Outline of presentation • 1. Why ageing research is important • 2. The opportunities it presents • 3. The challenges it presents • 4. Some conclusions

3. 1. Reasons why ageing research is important • a. Demographic • b. Economic • c. Social • d. Technological • e. Political

4. Why ageing research is important: Demographic reasons An ageing population: A growing % of older people. A larger increase for ROI ROI NI % of total popn 60*+ 2006 15 19 % of total popn 60*+ 2050** 32 32 Source: ROI UN (2006), NI Central Statistical Office (2006) * This is the definition for older people used by the UN ** Projections

5. Why ageing research is important: Demographic reasons An ageing population: A growing % of very old people (% of people aged 80+ as % of people 60+). A larger increase in NI ROI NI 2006* 17 19 2050** 24 34 Source: ROI UN (2006), NI Central Statistical Office (2006) * This is the definition for older people used by the UN ** Projections

6. Why ageing is important: Demographic reasons Changing potential support ratios show that there will be a decline in people of working age to older people. Support ratios*: ROI NI 2006 17 19 2050** 2 2 Source: UN (2006) Support ratio is the number of people of working age per person 65+ ** Projections

7. Changing support ratios • The effect of a smaller proportion of people of working age: • The ‘burden’ of pensions • Smaller numbers of workers to care for a larger number of older people • Should older people be encouraged to stay on in the workforce or take on new jobs?

8. Older people can return to work in caring professions

10. Why ageing research is important: Economic reasons - Older people absorb a high % of national and local budgets. In England 2001-02 average costs per person for hospital and community health services p.a. were: Under 5s £1,172 5-15 £259 85+ £3,315 average £646 - There are important employment issues when older people retire both for them and for society

11. Why ageing research is important: Social reasons Social reasons include where people live. - In ROI nearly half of older people live in rural areas compared with one third in NI. • Research can show both where older people live and their wishes for the future (e.g. different kinds of housing including new patterns of living) • Family patterns are important too. Research can help establish both the need for care and who is available to give it (e.g. the effect of cohabitation and divorce)

12. Why ageing research is important:Technological reasons • Developments in technology will have great implications for older people (e.g falls detectors) • A new generation of older people will be much more used to technology • Technology may improve the lives of older people with dementia and their carers (e.g. passive alarms)

13. Why ageing research is important: Political reasons • The growing importance of larger numbers of older people as voters • Growing attention to the importance of older people being more involved in decision making (e.g. the European Year of Older People in 1994 and the subsequent setting up of the Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament in 1996) • But note that the average age for most MPs is relatively high

14. 2. The opportunities presented by ageing research • The opportunities to change policies in the light of research e.g. long term care • The greater likelihood of funding e.g. from government departments and research councils • The chance to be involved in international projects e.g. the Irish Longitudinal Research on Ageing (TILDA) research • The chance to do more multidisciplinary research (see next slide)

15. The opportunities presented by ageing research (ctd) • The chance to improve services for older people (note especially Atlantic Philanthropies as funders of both services and research). Note their aims across the world which include ensuring that older adults: • Are treated with dignity and respect • Are fully empowered to shape their own destinies • Have excellent health and support systems • Have representation by a stronger cadre of leaders • Are able to contribute their expertise, wisdom and abilities to society In my view Atlantic has been a catalyst for important initiatives although this is not to belie what others have done.

16. 2. The opportunities presented by ageing research (ctd) • The opportunities to learn from each other in the 2 countries (e.g. the development of end of life care in ROI and advocacy in NI) • Pragmatically: the possibility of attracting researchers from other parts of the world (including wooing back of researchers from the UK) • The chance to do more multidisciplinary research (see next slide)

17. The opportunities for multidisciplinary research • The different disciplines each contribute a perspective which together makes up a whole • Some topics such as falls need approaches from different disciplines such as medical, environmental, psychological • Complementary skills can be used • It is stimulating for researchers

18. 3. The challenges presented by ageing research • There is more interest in children on the whole than older people both in policy terms and research (e.g. compare child abuse with elder abuse) • Historically an under funded area of research • Most research in the past has been medical

19. The challenge of multidisciplinary research • It is time consuming • There are different languages • There are different methodologies • May be different locations • Professionals may not appreciate each others approaches • There may be problems of status

20. Similarities between multidisciplinary research and that between North and South in Ireland? • There are wonderful opportunities • There may also be potential problems which need to be addressed such as the greater time and costs of working together

21. Some conclusions • Ageing research is here to stay • There is great value in co-ordination of the type that CARDI is designed to provide • There are still many questions which need answering e.g. the differences between the way men and women age • We can all learn from each other (but it is just as important to share failures as it is successes and we need the courage to do that).

22. Some conclusions • Intergenerational links have never been needed more and ageing research can contribute to that • Older people are more likely in the future to have a bigger say in what is researched and how it is to be done (e.g. as exemplified in Age and Opportunity’s Strategy Plan 2006-2008). This should be embraced.