BSG Scotland is flourishing as a local group of the British Society of Gerontology. Our aims are:
- to promote active membership of BSG within Scotland;
- and to provide opportunities for meaningful and constructive networking.
Since the group was formed in 2002 we have
organised several conferences and events in Scotland, including three
one day conferences, in Glasgow (2002 and 2006) and Stirling (2003).
The organising group is already planning the next conference in June 2008.
Our other type of event is for BSG members and
guests whom we hope to recruit to BSG. This is a more informal half day
members’ event. The format we have developed has proved very successful.
We begin with a buffet lunch and plenty of time for participants to
network and look at display materials. Then in the afternoon we have
three presentations of members’ research, allowing half an hour for each
presentation and questions. We include a presentation by a postgraduate
student at each of our members’ events. Previous events were held at
Queen Margaret University in November 2006, and Glasgow Caledonian
University in February 2005 and November 2005.
On 23 March 2007 the fourth BSG Scotland members’
event took place at the University of Stirling, in the Colin Bell
Building. The 21 participants came from a range of institutions: Bell
College, Glasgow Caledonian University, NHS Lanarkshire, Queen Margaret
University, TC Research, University of Paisley and University of
Stirling. They included six postgraduate students.
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After an
enjoyable and sociable lunch, the afternoon session was chaired by BSG
Scotland organising group member Dr. Emmanuelle Tulle from Glasgow
Caledonian University. Emmanuelle’s introduction included a warm tribute
to Mike Hepworth, whose untimely death had been a shock to members.
Mike was a great colleague who had played an active role in BSG Scotland
and had been a key speaker at our June 2006 conference.
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Jane Burns, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, gave the first presentation: Orientation, Connection and Reflection (touch, tapping and texture) – arts therapies work with older people who have dementia. Jane is an arts therapist who is completing a PhD thesis: An interpretivedescription of the pattern of practice of arts therapists.
Arts therapy includes art, music, dance, movement and drama therapy.
Jane had conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 arts therapists
and participant observation of 13 clinical settings, as well as
interviews with 10 medical professionals. An integrative theory was
used, combining person-centred arts specific theory and psychodynamic
theory.
| Jane outlined
the goals of therapy and the three stages of each therapy session: the
beginning warm up session, the main activity, and the end of session
reflecting and closing stage. The presentation gave examples of art work
by people with dementia. In art therapy work there was a fine line
between directive and non-directive work; this was a topic of keen
discussion following the presentation. |
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Alison Bowes, Professor of Sociology, and David
Bell, Professor of Economics, University of Stirling, then presented
their research on Free personal care in Scotland – impact and implications.
Alison Bowes and David Bell
They had used qualitative research as well as
large data sets and modelling work. Alison outlined the Scottish policy
of free personal care, introduced in July 2002, and gave examples of
some extreme reactions to this policy in the media, which suggested that
it was ‘costing a fortune we can’t afford’. The presentation showed how
free personal care fits into a very complicated system, making it
difficult to separate the effects of this policy. Since 2002 the number
of clients receiving free personal care at home and in care homes had
increased. There was no evidence that informal carers had stopped
caring. The research showed very great variation of costs across
Scotland and that there was little difference between Scotland and
England in terms of costs of long term care. There was huge variation in
home care costs for people aged 65+ across local authorities in
Scotland, ranging from £1500 to £8000 per client per annum. Alison and
David are conducting further research to explain some of these
differences. Their research is funded and published by the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation.
| The third paper was Learning from experience; involving vulnerable older adults in needs assessment,
by Kevin O’Neill and Kenneth McAllister, Department of Public Health,
NHS Lanarkshire, and Margaret Brown, Bell College. Margaret and Kenneth,
both experienced mental health nurses with older people, presented the
research. |
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The study
involved service users with severe and enduring mental health problems
in the needs assessment process. The purpose was to identify deficits
and improve services to this group. The method involved professional
groups working with the target population through community mental
health teams and social work staff. One to one interviews were held with
62 service users in Lanarkshire. The participants were often quite
isolated and difficult to contact. The research revealed problems people
experienced in their social life, for example taking public transport
into Glasgow. Clinical needs were mainly around anxiety and depression,
and people did not take the service users’ physical needs seriously.
They expressed a desire to be seen as a person, not as a mental health
problem. The researchers concluded that, although involving service
users in research and service development can be time consuming,
positive results can be achieved. The research will be published as Living life in later life in Lanarkshire: a study of mental health care needs for older adults in Lanarkshire.
In the concluding session, participants responded
that they were very satisfied with the format of the event. There had
been a lot of time for networking, which was appreciated. Having only
three speakers gave time for presenters to develop their topics, and all
the presentations had stimulated plenty of questions and discussion.
The next BSG Scotland members’ event will be held
on Friday 9 November at Bell College, Hamilton (which by then will have
a different name, following mergers in progress). For further
information about BSG Scotland, please visit the webpage:
http://www.britishgerontology.org/index.asp?PageID=18.