Exploring the experiences of older adults living with asthma

A new project at the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research is exploring the perceptions of older adults in the UK with asthma

A new project at the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research is exploring the perceptions of older adults in the UK with asthma.

An area deserving of further attention

Asthma is often underdiagnosed, undertreated and poorly self-managed in older adults.

The burden of illness from asthma in older adults is increasing, with high numbers of asthma related mortality and morbidity reported. Complexities in diagnosing and treating asthma in older adults can result from overlap with chronic obstructive airways disease, competing multimorbidities and polypharmacy.

Older adults are the fastest growing population in the UK and it is necessary to understand the experiences and needs of this sector to identify areas of research that could improve quality of life.

Driven by Patient and Public Involvement

Volunteer PPI patient lead, Elisabeth Ehrlich, has helped co-develop a new project at the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, which seeks to tackle the issue.

This new project will explore the perceptions of older adults in the UK with asthma on how they manage their asthma, how this impacts their life and if their asthma has changed over the years.

“This is an issue which needs to be addressed. In order to guide future research, and make a real difference to the lives of older adults with asthma, we need to understand more about the impact of the condition in this age group. It has taken an inter-generational team to bring about this project, which is so encouraging for the future. I’m excited to see the project in action.

The research is being conducted by two Medical Sciences students, Lewis and Flora, and supported by Tracy Jackson and Monica Fletcher from the Centre.

“As a student, it’s fantastic to be involved in a project like this, with patients at its core. It really highlights the importance of PPI to guide research which delivers real-world impact.” –