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Julia Twigg Professor of Social Policy and Sociology , University of Kent
“ I think there probably is a failure to engage with the subjectivity of the last phases of life . It ’ s partly a failure of resources , but it ’ s also a failure of imagination . I think that ’ s
Ian Philp Professor of Health Care for Older People , University of Warwick
“ I was asked to lead the development of the National Service Framework for Older People in England , and subsequently was asked to be the National Clinical Director for Old People , to implement the Framework and root out age discrimination in the NHS . That was my job description ... I was known to some people at the Department of Health ... [ and ] my team had won the prize for the Hospital
JOANNA BORNAT Emeritus Professor of Oral History , The Open University
“ When I got my chair , I called myself a Professor of Oral History . I wouldn ’ t have called myself a gerontologist then because I never felt I was as immersed
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Robin Means Emeritus Professor of Health & Social Care , University of the West of England
“ I became very driven about the importance of what I call the housing dimension of community care . A lot of integrated working , as we now call it , is about the health and social care divide . But , the importance of bringing in housing : of having decent housing for older people ,
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an understandable fear that we all have in facing these difficult stages of life . And I ’ m afraid , I think , that ’ s in the research community : in me , as much as in the outside .”
“ I ’ m someone who works in ageing studies , and I bring to that a sociological understanding . But I don ’ t see myself as primarily a sociologist , as it were . I see myself as someone who works in the field of ageing .”
Team of the Year Award for Older People ’ s Care so they felt that I had a bit of credibility . I had this one hour sit-down with Frank Dobson [ then Secretary of State for Health ] and , at the end , he said , ‘ Ian , I trust your experience , and your values , and your judgement . I want you to lead the development of the National Service Framework . I ’ ll give you a team of 12 of my top civil servants . You have a blank sheet of paper . You write it . Three months , come up with the spec .’”
in it all … I didn ’ t do a PhD in gerontology … there was no such thing as ageing as a topic when I did my undergraduate degree in sociology . So I didn ’ t feel I had , sort of , been trained up in quite the ways other people were . And also , I had this parallel life as an oral historian .”
supporting people to make good housing decisions about whether they want to move or stay put , the importance of handyperson schemes , the importance of the disabled facilities grant in terms of home adaptations ; I think all of that is really quite critical to older people . It ’ s something I feel , at different points in my career , I ’ ve been able to make a contribution about … getting that right fires me up .”
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Maria Evandrou Professor of Gerontology , University of Southampton “ We all hope that in some way , some small way , our research will make a difference : whether it ’ s making a difference to older people ’ s lives through our research ; or shedding
Jay Ginn Retired ; Associate of the Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender , University of Surrey ; former Visiting Professor , King ’ s College London Institute of Gerontology
“ Some people have said I ’ m a pensions guru or an expert . That was a bit surprising to be described in that way . But I think I have opened up areas of the
Malcolm Johnson Emeritus Prof of Health and Social Policy , University of Bristol & Visiting Prof of Gerontology and End of Life Care , University of Bath
“ I ’ m rather dismissive of people who come up with one idea when they ’ re young and do nothing else , and who have one methodology and apply it everywhere . So , I haven ’ t tried to use biographical techniques
Mary Gilhooly
Professor of Gerontology and Health Studies , Brunel University , London
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“ We have to be more open about the ways that we decline with old age . And we have to stop painting this rosy picture of ... we can |
light on say , for example , the patterns and drivers of health inequalities ; or the pension penalties of informal care provision ; or making a difference to our students ’ lives within our teaching and our PhD supervision .”
subject that other people have , I ’ m very glad to say , jumped into … and extended them wonderfully , imaginatively , beyond what I did , and built on it , as I ’ ve built on other people . It really has been standing on other people ’ s shoulders . I ’ ve done that , and then other people have stood on mine , and so it goes on .”
in every piece of research I ’ ve ever done but in the topics that I ’ ve chosen in recent years … I do use it . And it ’ s especially important in studies of later life , where you want to induce people to talk about the recent past , and now , and the future . Engaging with their life stories in order to get them into a way of thinking about the present and the future is a very powerful method , so I continue to use it .”
all run marathons when we ’ re 70 . And we can all do a million things . And we can all work at the same capacity . We need to think about how , without humiliating people , we can ... use the skills of older people instead of just saying , well they ’ re in phased retirement , just ignore them .”
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