Mr. Thomas Grey

Summary

Background: In Ireland, the provision of Residential Care Settings (RCS) for Older People is inadequate; putting pressure on the health system and undermining the care of many older people. With population growth, the number of people requiring RCS will inevitably increase, worsening the shortfall. This is recognised by the Irish government and funding is to be provided for new RCS. However, the success of these facilities is greatly influenced by design and the quality of the physical environment, and their impact on resident and staff wellbeing and health. COVID-19 has exposed how many settings are ill-designed for infection-control and the protection of residents and has illustrated the importance of space and spatial practices such as social distancing, and isolation/quarantine, all of which have immediate and long-term implications for RCS planning and design. Yet, there is scant research or evidence-based guidance regarding best-practice planning and design of RCS in Ireland. Aims: The project will produce evidence-based Universal Design guidelines for RCS for Older People in Ireland that support quality-of-life and infection-control. These guidelines will support resident-centred principles and standards in national policy; be applicable to new-build, retrofit, and refurbishment projects; and, relate to rural, suburban and urban location Methodology: The project adopts a mixed-methods approach based on PPI contribution and stakeholder engagement (focus groups, interviews, questionnaires). The methodology incorporates literature and policy reviews, and Irish and international case studies. The outputs will include a Key Findings Report and guidance document. Impact on health/social care policy and practice: This project will improve the quality-of-life for RCS residents and staff by promoting greater community integration and accessibility in terms of planning, and by improving design and the physical environment in RCS. It will promote innovative and diverse RCS models, help inform broader planning and design policy, and support Irish health and social care policy.

Funding Agency

HRB

Summary

Research Pillar: Climate Action and Sustainability Project Name/Title/Acronym: Minority Report Funding Body: Horizon Europe - European Union's Horizon Innovation Actions (Grant Agreement No. 101147385) Project Timeframe: June 2024 - December 2027 Key Output(s): Co-Creation Framework Minority report is a pioneering project dedicated to enhancing the resilience of vulnerable urban populations and their built environments against disruptive climate events. As climate change accelerates, the frequency and intensity of events such as flash floods, forest fires, and storm force winds increase, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities. The project mission is to leverage cutting-edge technologies and collaborative approaches to safeguard these populations and their homes. Role of TrinityHaus (Tom Grey, TCD PI) TrinityHaus focuses on co-creation and the intersection between the built environment, health, wellbeing inclusion, climate action and sustainability. In relation to Minority Report, TrinityHaus will be involved in a number of work packages, with a particular focus on WP1: Stakeholder Engagement & Co-Design. Specifically, the research team will be participating in tasks on the following: Stakeholder mapping: this task will establish a `base set" of stakeholder categories (social, geographic, gender, age, people with disabilities) and their interaction with the built environment ; identifying stakeholders cross key spatial scales (e.g. building, neighbourhood, district) and relevant settings (e.g. residential, long term residential care, health, education, childcare, commercial, etc.), this task will be framed by context specific stakeholders at each of the 3 sites". Based on this task, KPIs to characterize the behaviour of citizens in response to climatic /natural disaster events" will be developed. Co-creation in the demo Sites": this task will further interrogate key place-based issues/features & key stakeholder characteristics at each site, as well as uncovering more details on "the levels of awareness & preparedness of stakeholders on issues & solutions in case of extreme climatic events & natural disasters. As part of this task, TrinityHaus will lead on the development of Personas & Scenarios for Patras, Wellington, Dublin; these will comprise a "suite of culturally & contextually appropriate `personas & scenarios" for each site, with realistic narrative accounts of key user experiences / perspectives (persona) in relation to a) everyday (normal); b) acute situations (event) occurring in specific settings (scenarios)".

Funding Agency

Horizon Europe

Project Type

Innovation Action