The Ageing and Multi-morbidity theme virtual grant writing workshop led by theme lead Professor Claire Goodman was held on the 27th November 2020. Bringing together 30 practitioners and researchers with an interest in Ageing and Multi-morbidity, the event offered the opportunity to form collaborative relationships with the goal of developing grant applications and research proposals. It attracted nine practitioners and researchers who had no prior association with the ARC East of England, linking them with people, with similar research ideas and interests around implementation. It is an approach to online workshops that has promise to build within theme interest groups leading on key topics in ageing and multi-morbidity.
Three research ideas were pitched to the group:
NEWsflash: An innovation collaborating with care homes in the Suffolk area to support care home staff to monitor signs of early deterioration in care home residents.
Implementation of an Opiod Tapering Intervention Within the Primary Care Setting: A toolkit for organisations to support opioid deprescribing.
Use of AI-Assisted Virtual Reality as an Assessment Tool and Preventative Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease: Evaluating brain function in conjunction with the use of virtual reality as an assessment tool.
The three presentations stimulated helpful discussion across three discussion groups identifying the following areas that have potential for future research and collaboration:
- Behaviour change intervention to support care staff to better identify subtle changes and deterioration of residents
- Outcomes of a shared understanding and better relationships between health and social care.
- Optimisation of opioid usage
- Big data
- Impact of cancer on older people
The group were also able to identify a list of new collaborators and people with shared interests, most notably in assistive technology for older adults.
The mix of presentations and breakout group discussion ensured everyone could participate. It engaged practitioners and researchers. Feedback from the event indicated that this type of event could be useful in stimulating collaborative relationships. It will, however, need ongoing facilitation to have the potential to develop grant applications.