Empowerment in ageing: why inclusive conversations matter

It was the American actress Billie Burke, perhaps best known for playing Glinda the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz, who said, “Age is something that doesn't matter... unless you are cheese!"

There’s no denying that ageing, or more specifically living longer, can bring challenges for the individual, their loved ones, and society, but too often we see an ageing population as a problem when we should see it as a precious opportunity. Imagine being able to live a healthy, active life for 25 or more years after retiring. Some people already do, but not all.

As one of the academic leads on healthy ageing at Heriot-Watt University’s new Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies, my role includes empowering older people to direct our research towards the things that are most important to them.

We have a team of over 60 academics within the research institute focussed on ageing, with projects that span the university's departments, from engineering and the physical sciences to robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), textiles and design and the social and behavioural sciences. The research is also global, situated across our campuses in the UK, Dubai, and Malaysia. Ageing is, after all, a global challenge…sorry, global opportunity!

According to the latest national Census, there are now more than 1 million people aged 65 and over in Scotland and the 65+ age group has increased by 22.5% since 2011.

Do they all experience the same opportunities to age well? Absolutely not, but with advances in technology we can develop impactful solutions that are targeted towards tackling those inequalities.

On our Edinburgh campus we have the National Robotarium, a world-leading centre for research and development in robotics and AI, where we are exploring how innovative systems and tools can support people to live more independently at home or in residential settings, enabling them to determine the kinds of tasks they might need help with.

For example, colleagues are trialling telepresence robots in assisted living environments that can quickly triage an emergency situation, open a video link to a remote carer who can arrange relevant support and emergency services, saving valuable time.

Other active research projects include FEATHER, a unique data platform which helps individuals, their carers, and clinicians to recognise the signs of potential urinary tract infections far earlier, supporting targeted medical tests and treatment where needed.

Across the university, colleagues are developing everything from innovative nano biosensors for earlier diagnosis of conditions like dementia or age-related macular degeneration, to technology that assists with stroke rehabilitation.

Social isolation is another issue older people often face. We recently published research which suggested that limiting traffic and fixing uneven pavements would encourage more older people to get out and keep active.

One demographic becoming more visible is older autistic people. Many autistic people in their 50s and 60s may never have received a formal diagnosis because our understanding of autism was still developing when they were younger. To raise awareness, we’re working with Scottish Autism on a documentary film made by older autistic people, to inform future social care services.

Nothing we’re doing is about replacing human care and support. It’s about freeing time, whether from informal or formal carers, to focus on the compassionate, person-centred support that cannot be replicated. If smart sensors can log if a person is eating properly, taking their medication on time, or identifies changes in sleeping patterns, a carer can spend more time doing the things they’ve been trained for and are expert in, supported by clear and accurate data.

And data is one thing we need to make better use of. For example, although dementia is something some people will be diagnosed with when they’re older, the disease will have been developing for decades beforehand. If we can find good markers of changes earlier in life, we can take steps to slow that decline.

One of the missions of the Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies is to work closely with industry, clinicians, the third sector and people themselves to develop user-led solutions. Age Scotland visited the university recently and were excited by the possibilities of close collaboration and technology.

Katherine Crawford, chief executive of Age Scotland said:

“There are significant challenges for older people today – particularly in health and care, and as our population ages those issues will compound for future generations unless smart and deliverable solutions are developed. It is particularly important that real people are at the heart of this work, ensuring that technology is understood, embraced and ultimately meets their needs.

“That is why we were so glad to have the opportunity to spend the day with the team at Heriot-Watt University, learn more about the Global Research Institute’s direction and priorities. We are naturally impatient for positive change and keen to work with academics to advance developments which could improve the lives and experiences of countless older people. Too often these issues sit low on the political and media agenda but the cost of inaction will be greater.”

Finally, the way we talk about ageing and older people is so important. The FrameWorks Institute's Aging, Agency and Attribution of Responsibility study (2017) found that using negative metaphors and framing ageing as a societal burden increased fatalistic attitudes about it being an inevitable decline. Research from Yale University (2018) showed that people who held more positive self-perceptions of ageing in their 60s lived 7.5 years longer on average than those with negative perceptions of ageing.

Technology won’t always provide a simple solution. But it can be part of it if designed to support ageing in the ways that people value. In that sense, I might have to disagree with Billie Burke and suggest that age is important, not just for cheese but for all of us. Age, and the opportunity to age, is something we must value and find ways to ensure that opportunity is for the many, not the few.

Professor Alan Gow, co-academic lead for healthy ageing, Heriot-Watt University’s Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies.