What a way to conclude a busy summer! In August, I had the privilege of joining a program of specialized training and workshops in Belfast, Northern Ireland (NI) for two weeks. My assigned task was to introduce real-world examples of the challenges that can arise when attempting to balance the core importance of recognizing individual autonomy with potential needs for protection.
When I arrived on August 14, representatives of the Belfast NI Health and Social Care Trust and the Southeastern NI Health and Social Care Trust were already deep into discussions about best practices for “home visitors” to use when offering services and information to older people. A highlight of the final day of programming, on August 21, were role plays led by two women from Belfast who demonstrated the impact of good and “less good” interview techniques when rolling out this new program for integrated health and social care assistance in families.
My special thanks to Gertie and Rita for their humor, candor and great acting skills. I will post more over the next few days to describe the many events taking place.
I first became part of the research team of Joe Duffy, Subhajit Basu and Gavin Davidson during my first Fulbright Fellowship at Queen’s University Belfast in 2009-10. A key observation revealed by their early research was that many older adults have little awareness of resources available to assist in planning as you grow older. Early surveys led to consideration of cutting-edge program models, including the work of Dr. Mikkel Vass in Denmark. The aims of the August 2026 training sessions were to provide the staff undertaking home visits with a base of knowledge, skills and values to support their professional roles.
It is inspiring to see Northern Ireland’s latest dedication to Ageing Well!
Here I am, a bit jet lagged, but happy, with Joe Duffy (on my immediate left) and Gavin Davidson on my first full day in Belfast. I will be back in Pennsylvania for the start of Penn State Dickinson Law classes on Monday, August 24, including my seminar course with the daunting but relevant title of “Health, Law, Policy and Ethics in an Ageing World.”
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