Ageing and Assisted Living Working in partnership to improve
lives 17 September 2013
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Welcome and introduction Professor Graham Underwood Executive
Dean, Faculty of Science and Health
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Why Ageing and Assisted Living? The UK population is ageing: 10
million people over 65 years old, rising to 15.5 million in 20
years An increase in numbers suffering from chronic conditions
Increased pressure on health and social care services Assistive
technology will play an increasing role in providing care to ageing
and disabled populations
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University of Essex excellence in research, committed to Ageing
and Assisted living We are a top 10 research University (RAE 2008)
Professor Gill Green is Director of 5M NIHR Research Design Service
(EoE) Ageing and Assisted Living - a key theme for our 50 th
anniversary Over 50 staff involved in A&AL-related research Ms
of state-of the-art facilities
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Working in partnership We work closely with the NHS, social
care, charities, service users, Government and industry Our
research funders include:
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Our focus: assisted living not assistive technologies Samantha
Head and Faith Gage, physiotherapists at Colchester General
Hospital, are working with academics from Essex. Their research is
to investigate whether addition of a Pilates class to standard
physiotherapy care can improve outcomes for women with urinary
incontinence. We co-create research from low tech ideas.....
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to high tech solutions Professor Ray Meddis and researchers in
our Department of Psychology have developed the BioAid hearing app
The mobile app turns an iPhone into a hearing aid It is the most
downloaded medical app in some countries, with over 17,000
downloads in the first three months www.bioaid.org.uk
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Working in partnership to improve lives The first test will be
to listen for the singing of spring birds. I have not heard them
for many years and really miss these sounds... WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT
IN HEARING! The sound of birds singing in the morning is wonderful
to hear again. Bruce, USA BioAid enabled me to... thoroughly enjoy
Easter lunch with my family and hear every conversation and
domestic sound for the first time in 30 or more years, absolute
bliss! Anon user, UK
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Todays event Share with you some existing research - and new
ideas were working on Listen to your issues and insights Learn from
our keynote speakers Develop existing partnerships and create new
ones new research projects, attract funding, student volunteers and
student placements
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Ageing and Assisted Living at the University of Essex Professor
Gill Green Academic Lead, Ageing and Assisted Living Network,
Director of NIHR Research Design Service (EoE)
www.essex.ac.uk/aal
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Ageing and Assisted Living Research in the Faculty of Science
and Health A wide range of relevant research and expertise across
the Faculty Research supported by state-of-the-art facilities from
the Human Performance Unit to our Brain Research Centre Created
network to develop ongoing and new cross-disciplinary
collaborations Ageing and Assisted Living a key research theme for
Essexs 50 th anniversary
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Faculty of Science and Health Ageing and Assisted Living Theme
Age-related Disease: Cause, Cure, Care Assisted Living Lifelong
Health and Healthy Ageing
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Age-related disease theme: Development of new inhibitors to
neurodegenerative diseases Jody Mason and Neil Kad (Biological
Sciences) Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative
disease of the brain. One of the hallmarks of the disease is the
accumulation of amyloid proteins into plaques between nerve cells
in the brain, which is thought to contribute to nerve cell damage.
Currently no drug therapies exist to control the formation of these
amyloid plaques. Researchers at our University aim to combat this
problem by designing, screening and selecting peptide drugs that
can slow down, or even prevent, this process from occurring. This
research could lead to a more effective treatment for Alzheimers
disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinsons
disease.
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Assisted living theme: The intelligent wheelchair Robochair
multi-stakeholder group Gill Green (HHS) and Huosheng Hu (CSEE) The
concept of an intelligent, highly versatile RoboChair has been
developed by Professor Huosheng Hu and his Robotics Research Group.
RoboChair has the potential to transform the lives of people with
severe mobility problems. Funding from the Colchester Catalyst
Charity will support an initial multi- stakeholder development
group to help make sure the RoboChair prototype meets the
requirements of end users as effectively as possible.
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Using the Nintendo Wii to improve balance and quality-of-life
in recurrent elderly fallers Matt Taylor and Murray Griffin
(Biological Sciences), Teshk Shawis and Rebecca Impson (Colchester
Hospital University NHS Trust) Falls can lead to debilitating
physical and psychological effects. Our researchers have evaluated
use of the Nintendo Wii as a potential adjunct to standard NHS
falls training. Initial findings suggested that improvements were
greater when using the Wii compared to traditional training.
Researchers are now carrying out a small random control trial using
pre- and post- intervention measures to evaluate the utility of the
Wii as a rehabilitation tool.
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Pilot Projects Our Faculty of Science and Health Seedcorn Fund
is supporting four new collaborative Ageing and Assisted Living
pilot projects: Use of precision tinted lenses by migraine patients
to assist in prevention of headache, photophobia and functional
disability Arnold Wilkins, Sheina Orbell (Psychology) and Jonathan
Scales (Health and Human Sciences A preliminary exploration of the
possibility of reducing tremors in Parkinsons disease patients via
entrainment and brain computer interfaces Riccardo Poli, Francisco
Sepulveda (CSEE), Debi Roberson (Psychology) and Suffolk Working
Age Parkinsons Group (SWAP) Emotional speech perception in healthy
ageing individuals Silke Paulmann, Riccardo Russo (Psychology) and
Philip Hofmeister (Language and Linguistics) Developing a tool to
evaluate interactive music sessions for people suffering from
dementia Murray Griffin (Biological Sciences), Louise Marsland
(HHS) and Trudy White (Live Music Now)
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Partners The Ageing and Assisted Living Network has key
partnerships with external organisations We will continue to build
new links and partnerships to increase the impact of our research.
We work closely with the Universitys Research and Enterprise Office
(REO) to encourage collaboration and involvement from industry, the
NHS, voluntary groups and charities. We have links with a range of
user groups as their input at the earliest stage of the research
cycle is key.