Ageing Research and Occupational Therapy: building partnerships, creating opportunities
20 March 2007
Ageing Research and Occupational Therapy: building partnerships, creating opportunities
Hosted by: College of Occupational Therapists
Event organisers:
Dr Elizabeth White, COT
Ms Julie Hawkins, COT
Ms Verity Smith, SPARC Coordinator
Date: 20 March 2007
Venue:
The College of Occupational Therapists, London
This is a special workshop, one in a series to be organised by SPARC to promote the value of scientific ageing-related research and opportunities for further research. The workshop has been designed to provide a broad representation of recent advances in approaches to improving the quality of life of older people. Ageing research is still not a priority area and the research community is very small.
The workshop will provide encouragement to all those with an interest in enhancing the role which local authorities play in meeting the needs of older people. It will focus especially on activity, mobility, transport and the older worker.
SPARC (Strategic Promotion of Ageing Research Capacity) is funded by EPSRC and BBSRC which was established in 2005 to extend the previous remit of the EQUAL Network. SPARC is designed specifically to provide a platform, publicity and policy representation for existing researchers and to encourage newcomers into ageing research. A key aspect of its activities is working in partnership with the users of research - older people and those organisations which represent the interests of older people and which provide older people and their carers with services, advice and other support. As well as organising workshops SPARC is providing 34 pump-priming awards to newcomers to ageing research in the fields of design, engineering and biology.
The College of Occupational Therapists is the professional organisation for occupational therapy in the UK , and has some 29,000 members. It is a registered charity and as a subsidiary of the British Association of Occupational Therapists represents members' professional interests.
The College provides the strategic direction for occupational therapy in the UK. To members, it offers leadership, guidance and information relating to research and development, education, professional practice and lifelong learning. For the profession, the College works to engage with and influence national policies and contributes widely to policy consultations throughout the UK.
Support for members includes the development of professional standards and a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to guide all aspects of professional activity. In addition, the College sets the educational standards for occupational therapy at pre-registration level and produces materials to support lifelong learning. As a founder member of the Research Forum for Allied Health Professions, the College works to increase opportunities for the inclusion of occupational therapists in strategic research activities and to support capacity building for research-interested members.
The College has 11 Specialist Sections which support expert clinical practice, primarily in health and social care. One of these sections is concerned with the range of aspects in which occupational therapists engage with the occupational needs of older people.
The workshop will be of interest to occupational therapists and to practitioners in other fields, to policy makers, health and social care practitioners, industry, charitable and government bodies concerned with the needs of older people, as well as researchers and academics from engineering, biological, social science, medical and health care disciplines. Older people are especially welcome.
There is no charge for attendance just an enthusiasm and interest in extending the quality of life of older people through informed user-focused research and its application.
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