Irish Centre for Social Gerontology

ICSG Research Themes

Research undertaken at ICSG explores many of the key issues associated with ageing and later life. Underpinning our research is recognition of the diversity of ageing populations and the increasing need to adopt interdisciplinary perspectives and novel methodological approaches to address the questions raised by population ageing. Our research focuses on such areas as the economics of ageing, social policies for ageing societies, ageing and place, health and well-being in later life, and ageing and the lifecourse.

Economics of Ageing

Project Title: Implementing and evaluating a structured education programme for people with Type 1 Diabetes (DAFNE) in Ireland
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Eamon O’Shea and Sean Dinneen
This study was a randomised controlled trial, which compares the cost effectiveness of individual patient-based versus collective team-based follow up of patients with Type 1 diabetes who have participated in the Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) programme of care. This project is led by Dr Sean Dinneen of the Faculty of Medicine, NUI Galway.

Project Title: A study examining the impact of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care in Ireland
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Eamon O’Shea and Kathy Murphy
This study was a randomised controlled trial, which evaluated an intervention targeting patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) in Ireland. Professor Eamon O’Shea and Dr Paddy Gillespie provide the economic evaluation component for this work which is led by the School of Nursing and Midwifery, NUI Galway.

Project Title: Chlamydia Screening in Ireland (CSI) study
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Ciaran O’Neill, Diarmuid O’Donovan and Ruairi Brugha on behalf of the CSI Study Team
This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of opportunistic screening for Chlamydia in Ireland. The project is led by Dr Diarmuid O’Donovan of the Department of Health Promotion at NUI Galway and Dr Ruairi Brugha at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland

Project Title: West of Ireland Diabetic Foot Study
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Lorna Hurly, Laura Kelly, Adam Garrow and Sean Dinneen.
This study examines the costs associated with developing foot ulcers in older and younger patients with diabetes. This project is led by Dr Sean Dinneen of the Faculty of Medicine, NUI Galway.

Project Title: The prevalence of multimorbidity in primary care and its impact of healthcare utilisation and cost
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Liam Glynn, Jose Valderas, Pamela Healy, Evelyn Burke, John Newell, and Andrew Murphy
This research explored the relationship between multiple levels of morbidity on healthcare utilisation, and healthcare costs in Ireland. This project was led by Dr Liam Glynn in the Department of General Practice, NUI Galway

Project Title: Cost of universal screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in Ireland
Research team: Paddy Gillespie, Ciaran O’Neill, Michael O’Reilly, Gloria Avalos and Fidelma Dunne
This study examined the costs of universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Ireland. The project was led by Professor Fidelma Dunne of the Faculty of Medicine, NUI Galway.

Project Title: Costing care for people with dementia
Research team: Eamon O’Shea, Paddy Gillespie and John Cullinan
This study examines the relationship between dependence level and the cost of care, both formal and informal, for people with dementia in Ireland

 

Social Policies for Ageing Societies

Project Title: Irish Social Science Platform - Social Entrepreneurship
Research team: Gemma Carney
This research examines how older people are active agents in policy development and as social entrepreneurs.

Project Title: Comparing third sector lobbies in the Developmental Welfare State: a participatory policy analysis
Research team: Gemma Carney, Aine Ni Leime, Tony Dundon and Camille Loftus
This study assesses the impact of the life cycle approach on policy-making for CSOs participating in the Community and Voluntary Pillar of social partnership.

Project Title: Older women workers’ access to pensions; vulnerabilities, perspectives and strategies
Research team: Áine Ní Léime, Nata Duvvury and Aoife Callan
This project aims to contribute to our understanding of older women workers’ access to pensions in the Republic of Ireland and in Northern Ireland.

Project Title: Poverty and the lifecourse: developing material deprivation indicators for a diverse older population in Ireland
Research team: Thomas Scharf, Kieran Walsh, John Cullinan, Mary Greene and Caroline Finn
This study seeks to address perceived shortcomings in current approaches to poverty measurement in later life in Ireland.

Project Title: The demographic bounty: ‘Third Age’ volunteers in the Republic of Ireland.
Research team: Gemma Carney, Eamon O’Shea and Sheelah Connolly
The research will examine the context and motivations for volunteering, as well analyse the impact on quality of life and well-being of volunteers

Ageing and Place

Project Title: Healthy Ageing in Rural Communities (HARC) – a cross-border research network on rural ageing
Research team: Kieran Walsh, Eamon O’Shea, Thomas Scharf, Sheelah Connolly and members of HARC research network
ICSG, Queen’s University Belfast, the School of Geography at NUI Galway, the Rural Community Network and FORUM joined in establishing a cross-border research network to explore ageing issues in rural communities.

Project Title: Social exclusion and ageing in diverse rural communities
Research team: Eamon O’Shea, Kieran Walsh, Thomas Scharf, Siobhan Fitzgerald, Cristina Galvin, Sheelah Connolly and members of the HARC research network
This study aims to develop a framework that will improve understanding of social exclusion among rural dwelling older people and the role of rurality, diversity and place in the construction of exclusionary and inclusionary processes.

Project Title: Limerick Regeneration Programme
Research team: Thomas Scharf, Eamon O’Shea, Pat Dolan and Neil Haran
ICSG has been engaged in the project to support and assist in the co-ordination efforts of motivating a prioritisation of older people and their needs and interests in regeneration communities; to build greater awareness among agencies on the wider ageing agenda – from local, national and international contexts; and to generate commitment within agencies i) to building a greater evidence-base on the needs, interests, capacities and life experiences of older people, and ii) to responding in a co-ordinated fashion to that emerging evidence-base.

Project Title: Neighbourhood Context, Disability and Old Age
Research team: Kieran Walsh and Brenda Gannon
As a part of a broader interdisciplinary research programme on the neighbourhood context, Kieran Walsh and Brenda Gannon (Leeds University) are exploring the impact of environmental characteristics and the role of social participation in the disability process - in particular on the onset of disability among older adults.

 

Health and Well-being in Later Life

Project Title: Dementia Reminiscence-based Education Programme for Staff (DARES)
Research team: Eamon O’Shea and Kathy Murphy
This randomised-controlled trial commenced in December 2008 with the aim of examining the impact of the DARES programme on the quality of life of people with dementia living in residential care and on staff attitudes to caring for people with dementia.

Project Title: National Dementia Advisory Committee
Research team: Eamon O'Shea, Suzanne Cahill (TCD).
This study is designed to provide information and evidence to the Department of Health and Children on current and future issues with respect to the care of people with dementia in Ireland.

Project Title: Well into Older Age’ Age & Opportunity and The Evidence. What Research says about the Value of Promoting participation of Older People
Research team: Áine Ní Léime and Eamon O’Shea
The overall objective of this report is to examine the work of Age & Opportunity within an international context, and to explore its various impacts on age and ageing in Ireland today.

 

Ageing and the Lifecourse

Project Title: Intergenerational solidarity and justice in Ireland: towards a new national dialogue
Research team: Virpi Timonen, Thomas Scharf and Pat Dolan
This project aims to develop the evidence base necessary for a constructive discussion on intergenerational justice in Ireland at a time of serious social and economic challenges

Researchers at this centre have access to the following facilities and equipment:

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