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Healthy ageing and care

FUTURE THINKERS

About us

Demographic trends in global ageing are changing rapidly. 

In 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 years or above outnumbered children aged under five. There are huge opportunities and challenges which, as a society, we are only just beginning to understand and explore. 

Our researchers are working across disciplines and with our partners from communities, business and the public sector. 

Our work includes: addressing health and social care ageing issues, designing appropriate living and working spaces, developing policies to accommodate an ageing workforce, and exploring changes in the arts and culture.

Sign up to the Healthy Ageing and Care Network

Healthy Ageing - Visions for our Futures 2020

Explore a range of recorded talks and webinars which address many of the issues around healthy ageing, and draw on the knowledge and expertise of our Oxford Brookes staff, our academic, business, public and voluntary sector partners, and our local communities.

Find out more

Events

Sarah Harper

Celebrating International Day of Older Persons

Friday 1 October 2021

October 1 each year is the International Day of Older Persons, organised by the United Nations. To mark the occasion we were delighted to host a seminar by Sarah Harper CBE, Professor of Gerontology and Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, at the University of Oxford.

Sarah's presentation on Making ourselves and our communities more resilient to ageing clearly explained the implications of demographic trends, the impact of Covid-19 and made recommendations for ways to simultaneously address ageism and improve health and wellbeing. We are looking forward to working more closely with Sarah and colleagues on these issues. 

Watch the presentation recording

Dr Karla Zimpel-Leal

New models of care at home: what do they offer and implications for care workers

Friday 8 October 2021

See the video recording of Dr Karla Zimpel-Leal talking about the findings of her research examining emerging models of homecare in England and the implications for the care workforce. 

Utilizing the Business Model Canvas, this study investigated five case studies with homecare providers using semi-ethnographic methods. 

Dr Karla Zimpel-Leal is Senior Lecturer in Innovation & Enterprise at Oxford Brookes Business School and a Visiting Fellow within the Sustainable Care Programme, at the University of Sheffield.

Watch the presentation recording

Digital Skills to connect during Covid-19

Friday 15 October 2021

Watch the video recording of John Kiernan discussing recent research on skills and support for digital connectivity. John Kiernan is Innovation & Change Officer at the Centre for Ageing Better. 

The Centre for Ageing Better is a charitable foundation and want everyone to enjoy a later life. They create change in policy and practice informed by evidence and work with partners across England to improve employment, housing, health and communities.

Photo by Peter Kindersley, Centre for Ageing Better image library.

Watch the presentation recording

Neighbourhood

Healthy Placemaking for all Ages

Friday 29 October

There has been much debate recently about planning and designing cities, towns and neighbourhoods that promote and support the healthy ageing experiences of all age groups. There is much evidence that natural and built environment, social and other factors can promote and support physical and mental health and well-being. In the final video of our series celebrating International Day of Older Persons, Prof Georgia Watson from Brookes School of the Built Environment presents case studies drawn from Europe and UK to derive some useful transferable lessons for healthy placemaking.

She is joined by a resident of Bicester to debate how the town has developed over the past decade in relation to healthy ageing.

Watch the video

Research Centres, Institutes and Groups

CES-Banner

Centre for Environment and Society (CES)
oxinmahr

Oxford Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research
Artificial-Intelligence-Vision

Artificial Intelligence and Vision group
cdprp

The Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice
low-carbon

Low Carbon Building Research group
IPC

The Institute of Public Care
LDD-01

Land Design and Development (LDD)
human-diseases

Human Diseases and Disorders group
HA-research-sustainability-800x450

Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development
Institute-for-Ethical-AI

The Institute for Ethical AI

Spotlight

Photo by Mark Epstein

6 September 2021

Lessons from Covid-19 for the role of the voluntary sector in the NHS

The Healthy Ageing and Care network funded a pilot project in Oxfordshire (January to July 2021) which explored the lessons that can be learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic, for the role of the voluntary sector in ‘Integrated Care Systems’. Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are a long-term aim of the NHS and bring together different stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, local authorities and the NHS to provide more effective health and social care. ICSs will become statutory bodies in England in April 2022, and have already been introduced in some areas, but they are relatively recent in many places, and research is needed to examine how stakeholders can work together more effectively for better health outcomes. Photo by Mark Epstein

People

Jo-Brett

Dr Jo Brett

Senior Research Fellow, Department of Midwifery, Community and Public Health

sarah-quinton

Dr Sarah Quinton

Reader in Digital Society, Marketing

rajat-gupta

Professor Rajat Gupta

Professor of Sustainable Architecture and Climate Change, School of Architecture

danely-j

Dr Jason Danely

Reader in Anthropology of Japan, School of Social Sciences

ben-spencer

Dr Ben R.T. Spencer

Research Fellow, School of the Built Environment

Contact us

Healthy ageing and care network

healthyageing@brookes.ac.uk

Media enquiries

pr@brookes.ac.uk