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Research Benefits for the Ageing Population

Organised by STAKES and the European Commission under the Finnish EU Presidency

Major outcomes and documentation from the dissemination Conference for European Research Results
September 2006, Helsinki

Research related to the quality of life of older people is a multi-dimensional issue. Politics, economics, culture, family structure, demographics, healthcare practices, nursing skills and a wide range of therapeutic and technical measures shape and influence the present situation of older people in Europe.

The future provisions for older people in EU Member States and the outcomes for older people must be informed by today’s and tomorrow’s research, conducted by multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams.
At this conference, hosted by the Finnish National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) during the Finnish Presidency of the European Union, September 2006, experts in the field of ageing research presented the results of key research and development projects on the quality of life of older people.
The projects addressed some of the most pressing social issues in Europe today, and have produced findings in many significant areas, including health and social care, technological aids, prevention and treatment of age-related diseases, as well as active ageing and mobility.

The participants included Members the Economic and Social Committee, representatives of different Commission services, European and National Non-Governmental Organisations, UN, national policy makers and others who are interested expressed interest in taking up the results.
This dissemination conference has provided an exposition of the problem-solving approach of the research Key Action 6 “The Ageing Population and their Disabilities”, bringing research results to a well-informed and critical audience. It is with great pleasure that we offer these results to the research community and the many stakeholders who, we hope, may benefit from this work.

This webpage contains all the presentations (in .pdf format) made at the conference, as well as some aditional information links.
The presentations can be dowloaded by clicking with the mouse (or using mac's relevant button) and save file as...


DAY 1

Plenary

Welcome
Finnish Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Tuula Haatainen
European Commission, Director Health Research, Octavi Quintana Trias
Introduction, Vappu Taipale, STAKES
Follow-up of the Madrid Action Plan for Ageing, Alexandre Sidorenko, UN Programme on Ageing and Senior Social Affairs
Quality of Life of Older People – The Contribution of Research, Allan Walker, University of Sheffield, UK

Parallel sessions

• Session 1: Living Longer. Living Better?
Chair: Marja Jylhä, University of Tampere
Rapporteur: Eija Kattainen, STAKES

Living longer. Living better? – Introduction Ivor Ambrose, Independent Consultant, Athens

The role of diet on the longevity of elderly Europeans - Antonia Trichopoulou, University of Athens, presenter: Gesa Hansen, European Commission

Sleep in ageing women - Tarja Porkka-Heiskanen, University of Helsinki, presenter: Eija Kattainen, STAKES, Helsinki

Healthy ageing and its determinants in 11 European countries - Daan Kromhout University of Wageningen


• Session 2: Older People’s Home and Mobility
Chair: Kevin McCarthy, European Commission
Rapporteur: Päivi Voutilainen, STAKES

Genes, falls and cosmonauts: a case for the falling Icarus? - Carlos von Bonhorst, Independent Consultant, Brussels

Criteria for dwellings, surroundings and facilities - Pirkko Kasanen, Work Efficiency Institute, Helsinki

Enhancing outdoor mobility in later life - Heidrun Mollenkopf, German Centre for Ageing Research, Heidelberg

Mobility of senior citizens as a social problem - Heinz-Jürgen Kaiser (Presentation - Text), Institute for Psycho-gerontology, Erlangen


• Session 3: Coping with Age-related Health Problems
Chair: Heikki Kallasvaara, University of Helsinki
Rapporteur: Merab Kokaia, Lund University

The burden of disease in old age - Eino Heikkinen, University of Jyväskylä

Alzheimer's disease; Dementia results overview - Merab Kokaia, University of Lund

Information for and about Parkinson’s disease and communication with patients - Heiner Ellgring, University of Würzburg

Cueing of Parkinson patients, new technological devices to overcome “freezing” - Alice Nieuwboer, University of Leuven


• Session 4: Technological Solutions for Enhancing Quality of Life
Chair: Isabel Borges, AGE
Rapporteur: Peter Gore, Cane & Able Ltd.

The challenges of applying technology to health & social care - Peter Gore, Cane & Able Ltd., Sheffield

Technologies for people with dementia - Paivi Topo, STAKES, Helsinki

The friendly restroom - Marianne Egger de Campo, COMPASS, Graz

A new incontinence management system - Alan Cottenden, UCL - Continence Products Eval Network, London


Day 2

Plenary

How Can We Prevent Older People Falling? Lessons from ProFaNE - Chris Todd, University of Manchester, UK

Parallel sessions

• Session 5: Sensory Impairment
Chair: Eino Heikkinen, University of Jyväskylä
Rapporteur: Carlos von Bonhorst, Independent Consultant

New approaches, new tools, solving old problems in sensory impairment - Carlos von Bonhorst, Independent Consultant, Brussels

A prosthesis for the blind - Eduardo Fernandez, University of Alicante

Therapeutic and diagnostic tools in AMD - Thomas Wheeler-Schilling, European Vision Institute

New standardized battery test for evaluating low vision and AMD - Susanne Trauzettel-Klosinski, University Eye Hospital, Tübingen


• Session 6: Caring for Older Persons
Chair: Gertraud Dayé, NGO Committee on Ageing, UN
Rapporteur: Dora Groo, Hungarian Science Foundation

Caring for older persons - Introduction - Dora Groo, Hungarian Science and Technology Foundation, Budapest

Care for aged at risk of marginalization - Marianne Egger de Campo, COMPASS, Graz

Keys for quality performance of the care of older persons - Marja Vaarama, STAKES, Helsinki

Services for supporting family carers - Hanneli Doehner, University Hospital, Hamburg

Plenary

European Activities and Initiatives
Pekka Kahri, TEKES;
Gesa Hansen, European Commission

Summary of Key Messages from Sessions, session rapporteurs:

Session 1: Eija Kattainen
Session 2: Päivi Voutilainen
Session 3: Merab Kokaia
Session 4: Peter Gore
Session 5: Carlos von Bonhorst
Session 6: Dora Groo

The Ageing Population – Challenges for Future Research - Yitzhak Brick, Director General of Eshel, past president of the International Federation on Ageing



Additional Information

List of the websites for KA6 projects (right click or function button / save as)

Download conference proceedings booklet (available from early 2007)
Download Mid-Term KA6 Assessment executive summary report

Download final KA6 assessment (available from early 2007)
Download KA6 list of projects booklet