Completed projects

Read here about research projects recently completed in ICSG.

NCAOP report on ageing and disability (Eamon O'Shea)

A report entitled: The Quality of Life of Older People with a Disability in Ireland was launched by NCAOP on 3^rd May  2007 at Croke Park Conference Centre.

Alzheimer Society of Ireland paper on public policy for people with dementia (Eamon O'Shea)

Report titled: Implementing Policy for Dementia Care in Ireland written by Professor Eamon O’Shea was published by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Older & Bolder Campaign for Equality for Older People (Eamon O'Shea)

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. Professor Eamon O’Shea prepared the position paper titled: Towards a National Strategy for Older People in Ireland for the Older and Bolder campaign.

HSE: Volunteerism and the Care of Older People in Ireland (Kieran Walsh & Eamon O’Shea)

This research examined the current policy and practice issues in the voluntary care of older people, in terms of scope, role and problems, and explored the implications of the existing statutory/voluntary relationship in the age sector. A report was drafted for the HSE Voluntary Care of Older People Committee and a peer-reviewed journal article was published by the Administration journal

Third Age Foundation: An Assessment of Role & Potential (Kieran Walsh & Eamon O’Shea)

This study assessed the role and contribution of the Third Age Foundation in Summerhill Co. Meath. The report was published by the Third Age Foundation and a peer-reviewed article has been accepted for publication by the journal Health and Place.

National Council on Ageing and Older People – The Economic Cost of Falls and Fractures Among Older People in Ireland (Brenda Gannon, Eamon O’Shea and Eibhlin Hudson)

The study on the Economic Costs of falls and fractures was completed and submitted to NCAOP for publication. An ICSG seminar on research findings has been presented. Paper forthcoming in Irish Medical Jounal.

Mental Health Commission: Economics of Mental Illness in Ireland (Eamon O’Shea, Brendan Kennelly and Brenda Gannon)

A report has been completed for the Mental Health Commission. A Paper on willingness to pay for elder care, cancer treatment and mental health care was presented at International workshop on Costs and Assessment in Psychiatry and submitted to health economics journal.

A study of the Provision of Care for Older People Dying in Acute and Community Hospitals and Nursing Homes in Ireland (Eamon O’Shea and Aine Ni Leime)

This was a baseline national study commissioned by the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Irish Hospice Foundation. This project was led by ICSG and involved collaboration with the Department of Nursing and Midwifery Studies at NUI Galway, the Law Faculty at NUI Galway, and researchers from the University of Lancaster in the UK. The project involved quantitative and qualitative exploration and analysis of end-of-life care in Ireland. The launch of the End of Life report was held on April 17^th in Croke Park. 

An Assessment of the Impact of the Bealtaine Festival (Áine Ní Léime and Eamon O’Shea)

This project is a baseline study funded by Age & Opportunity and is designed to assess the impact of the Bealtaine festival in promoting the involvement and highlighting the presence of older people in the Arts in Ireland and in influencing Arts policy at a local and a national level. Bealtaine is a festival that celebrates creativity in older people in Ireland.

Social Audit and Ethnographic Analysis of Assistive Technology for Older Adults (Kieran Walsh and Aoife Callan)

This research was completed as phase 1 of the ICSG’s research strand in the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) project. The purpose of the study was to review the application, use and potential of assistive technology to impact on the lives of older adults in Ireland. Five sites across Ireland, involving older adults and technology were identified; management interviews and participant focus group discussions were used to explore experiences with assistive technology and the impact it has on the lives of older people. This research provided the context and background for the larger TRIL project.