Blog - Putting people in later life at the heart of our research
People in later life are at the heart of everything that we do at the ACRC and working closely with members of the public is an important part of making this happen.
Posted by Jenny Robertson, Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Coordinator, on 8th July.
If you would like to speak to us about the issues raised in this blog, or have any suggestions of topics you would like us to cover in future posts, please contact us.
Our Research Network
This week is Co-production Week (5th to 9th July), and to celebrate this, we are pleased to announce the launch of our Research Network. Our Network is open to anyone who considers themself to be in later life and has an interest in shaping health and social care, technology, and support in later life. Close family members or friends are also welcome to join our Network to share their experiences of looking after a family member who is in later life.
Research Network members will be invited to offer their expertise based on their lived experience of ageing and care, as well as their personal and professional skills from other aspects of their life.
Some examples of how members of the public will shape our research include:
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Joining meetings (in-person or online) to discuss plans for a research project and what participants will be asked to do. Network members will use their own experience of later life and healthcare to suggest changes that will make it easier for older adults to find out about the research and take part.
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Helping to write and read through information that will be shared with the public to make sure it’s accessible to everyone.
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Suggesting the best places and ways that researchers can share their research findings so that members of the public find out about what we’re doing.
It’s important that we involve a diverse group of people so that our research is representative of the wider community. Therefore, the opportunities to shape our work vary in time commitment and many can be done from home.
Importantly, we want to hear about your lived experience of health and social care so previous experience of research is not needed!
You can find out more and sign up to our Research Network on our website.
If you have any questions, please email jenny.l.robertson@ed.ac.uk