Abstract
Plain English SummaryA one day public engagement workshop was held to focus on the priorities of older people about research and practice in health and social care. Seventy-five older people from the general public and a variety of backgrounds attended this event to share their views and discuss what should be prioritised. The main aim of this workshop was to identify and prioritise issues that are important to older people that would benefit from further research, as well as create an environment for older people to share ideas and problems related to these important issues. Key priorities brought up by participants included loneliness and isolation, support and training for professional and family carers, post-surgical care, negative perceptions of older people and inequalities related to public services and healthcare. Participants further suggested older people should be actively involved in all stages of the research process.As the world’s population ages, there is an increasing need for research that addresses the priorities of older people. A public engagement workshop focusing on the priorities of older people for research and practice in health and social care was attended by seventy-five people aged 70 years and above in London, United Kingdom (UK). The workshop aimed to identify and prioritise issues important to older people that would benefit from further research and act as a platform to promote sharing of ideas and problems related to these important issues. Key priorities emerged including loneliness and isolation, support and training for professional and family carers, post-surgical care, negative perceptions of older people and inequalities related to public services and healthcare. Participants further suggested older people should be actively involved in all stages of the research process.
Highlights
The importance of involving the public in health and social research, in policy development, has been recognised internationally [1]
The workshop enabled older people to provide their perspectives on possible ways of actively participating in research
Participants strongly felt that older people should be at the heart of ageing research and actively involved in all stages of the research process
Summary
The importance of involving the public in health and social research, in policy development, has been recognised internationally [1]. The challenges of longer life can be addressed by exploring ways to keep people healthier, happier and independent for longer; to remove discriminatory barriers for older people, and to support people with disabilities, long term health conditions and/or those needing care, in times of economic austerity [6] It is becoming increasingly important for older people’s experiences and opinions to be considered when conducting research [7]. Previous priority setting exercises designed to identify older people’s issues have addressed factors relating to medicines, such as barriers to their use, and how to improve their provision [8, 9] These exercises have not considered what older people view as important research questions in ageing in healthcare and in a broader sense. To previously published studies, the current workshop aimed to engage a sample of older people in dynamic discussions to inform future research, with a specific focus on important topics that require further attention
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