Blog
Latest
Rationing by frailty
In January of this year the journal Age and Ageing published a commentary piece with the title Rationing by frailty during the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the guidance published by NICE i...
Ageing population and inward FDI for post COVID-19 recovery in developed countries
It is a widely accepted view that without improvements in productivity population ageing is likely to have a negative impact on economic growth and returns to investment. The idea that we mig...
A marriage made in Research Heaven
“More research is needed”: the eternal verity closing many research projects. But is it always needed? Surely, after decades of research and reflection, we know enough about...
Will the roaring twenties leave a legacy?
Even as the world’s woes mount up in these bleakest of times, there is a narrative emerging in which various new types of technology will ride to the rescue. This narrative has a name –...
The case for a new field of ageing studies combining scholarship with activism
In October 2020 I had the honor to participate in an online Oxford debate alongside Ken Bluestone from Age International on the topic: ‘Age Discrimination: do we need a Human Rights Charter f...
The rhetoric of burden and boomer
There is something decidedly discriminatory when a certain group of a population is referred to as a burden, with the implicit understanding that the rest of the unburdensome population has to bear...
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Older Adults: Institutionalised Ageism or Pragmatic Policy?
This article first appeared in the December issue of the Journal of Population Ageing. The Covid pandemic has produced a plethora of editorials and commentaries by professional bodies ...
_square_md.jpg)
Undercover in a nursing home: What constitutes good care?
During the Christmas Holidays, on the advice of one of my colleagues, I watched a fascinating documentary The Mole Agent. In this idiosyncratic mix of spy film and observational documentary, 83-yea...
Automation Taken to Court: A Case for Rising to the Challenge Over Delay
‘Judge, a robot stole my job’ – Spain’s courts heard this year. In one case, an accounting officer named Cecilia had been working for her company in Las Palmas in Gran Canar...
Consider animal therapy for institutionalised elders during the pandemic
One of the most stressful - and distressing - events that can occur in an older person’s life is moving into a long-term care facility. The new resident suffers the loss of a home, personal p...
Climate change and environmental crisis: twin challenges in an ageing world
While the urgency of the response to Covid-19 has throughout this year relegated other global emergencies, there are reminders that they have not gone away. A recent New Scientist article for...
Navigating the Anthropocene – lecture by Professor Ruth DeFries
I recently attended a lecture by Professor Ruth DeFries, who is professor of ecology and sustainable development at Columbia University. The lecture has been recorded by the Oxford organisers, and ...
Five Innovative Trends in Ageing
For the past three years, I've had the privilege of attending The Longevity Forum's annual conference in November. The event brings together leading figures from the academic, investme...
On old age and the stories where sorrows are born(e)
The two pieces we are publishing today are summaries of papers from a seminar Old age: views from philosophy and social science last Thursday (12/11/20). Ashley Moyse, Faculty of ...
Social media, knowledge translation, and gerontological research
Social media platforms have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives with inroads into sports, politics, and increasingly, research. With humble beginnings as software developed with the intent ...