Developing active caring communities: perspectives from Belgium and the UK
From MICRA and the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub.
Wednesday 31 May 2017
The policy of ‘ageing in place’ has become an important part of health and social care in the community. This seminar examines this approach through projects which focus on empowering older people to influence the design and development of neighbourhood care.
Professor de Donder will discuss findings from the ‘Active Caring Community’ project organised in a number of inner-city neighbourhoods in Brussels, Belgium. The project was aimed at creating a community which would support the process of ageing in place, with residents helping and supporting each other, and where older people and their informal caregivers would receive care and support from motivated professionals. Professor de Donder will present findings from an evaluation of the project and review the policy implications.
Following this, Professor Phillipson will examine the ‘Village’ model as developed in a number of communities in the United States. ‘Villages’ are membership associations developed and operated by older people with the primary purpose of improving access to and control over a variety of services designed to improve the quality of daily life in the community. The presentation will examine the range of activities undertaken by Villages, findings from research on their effectiveness, and will consider their potential for development in Greater Manchester.
This workshop is targeted at practitioners, particularly those in health, social care and housing.
Speakers
- Professor Liesbeth de Donder, VUB, Brussels, Belgium
- Professor Chris Phillipson, The University of Manchester