Diversity and Brain Health: Perspectives from the LGBT+ Community in Ireland
| Date of Event: | Tuesday, 4 June 2019 |
| Time: | 10 am - 2.30 pm |
| Reservations: | Eventbrite |
| Venue: | Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin |
As the population ages, it is imperative that all members of the community are catered for in the design and delivery of healthcare. This ranges from preventative measures such as screening programmes, right through to long term care services for people living with disabilities such as nursing home care. Dementia currently affects over 50,000 people in Ireland and the numbers are set to increase three-fold in the next thirty years. It is the largest chronic disease contributor to disability in old age and places significant pressure on Irish families and the healthcare system to care and support people living with the illness. Knowing how to design care systems and inclusive communities to meet the needs of older adults living with dementia and other complex illnesses, as well as their care-partners, in Ireland is essential.
Irish society has changed substantially in the past 50 years. Since the 1970s Ireland has lifted the marriage bar; entered the European Union; decriminalised homosexuality; increased the separation between Church and State; welcomed refugees, an economic workforce and multinational corporations from across the world; introduced the right to marry for same sex couples and the right to abortion. Both the size and diversity (age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race and sexual orientation) of the older population in Ireland need to be considered in designing services that are attuned to their diverse needs. This workshop addresses this need by examining diversity and brain health through the lens of the LGBT+ community in Ireland.
The workshop aims to understand experiences of ageing and health care services and learn how to design care and support catering to diverse communities within Irish society. To do so, it will ask members of the LGBT+ community about their experiences of healthcare and preferences for care as they age. Some key questions that will be addressed include: How can inclusivity be incorporated into care planning and with key healthcare providers? What are the current barriers to the LGBT+ community accessing care services? How can the care sector be developed to best support the inclusion of the LGBT+ community? In terms of long-term residential care, what is the most desirable living situation for members of the LGBT+ community?
The workshop is aimed at engaging members of the public, especially those currently interested in ageing, healthcare, advocacy and the LGBT+ community.
Speakers include: Senator David Norris, Prof Agnes Higgins, stakeholders from the LGBT+ community, including GOLD, OWL, TENI and Outhouse.
This event is free but registration is required.
The GBHI, co-located at TCD and UC San Francisco, was established to address issues related to equity and brain health and reduce the impact of dementia on the person, their carer(s), family and community.
Image credit :Zeynep M. Saygin, McGovern Institute, MIT. CC BY-NC-ND