Learning Outcomes:

o Outline demographic trends of population ageing and discuss the benefits and challenges of a growing population of older people for contemporary society
o Discuss the phenomenon of ageism, identify examples of ageism in popular discourse and in social policy, and discuss ways that ageism can be counteracted
o Analyse and evaluate Ireland’s key social and health policies as they apply to older people
o Discuss the ageing process and its implications for health and wellbeing, including functional and cognitive wellbeing
o Define healthy ageing and prepare a healthy ageing resource for older people at risk of functional decline
o Based on case studies of altered health in old age, conduct a functional and cognitive assessment and devise a care plan to enhance and promote functional and cognitive capacity
o Select a health problem that older people may experience, and based on best available evidence, devise a care plan to promote wellness with reference to the problem.

Indicative Module Content:

Unit 1 Ageing: Demography and society (6 hours)

The ageing population: Demographic trends
Social and economic factors in demographic trends
National policy on ageing
Research priorities and trends in ageing and older people
Health services and care systems for older people
Ageism and ageist discourses
Health disparities (inequities and inequalities) in ageing


Unit 2: Healthy ageing (14 hours)

Theories of ageing
Healthy ageing: Characteristics and health promotion
The ageing body: Motor and sensory changes
Social aspects of ageing: Social networks, family and economics, gender and sexuality,
Psychological aspects of ageing: Mental health, Memory and cognition, delirium and dementia
Quality of life, resilience and empowerment
At-risk older adults: Mistreatment and neglect
Health assessment: Functional and cognitive assessment
Aspects of nursing older adults: e.g. skin integrity, nutrition, frailty and falls, pain
Nursing assessment and care planning for older adults

Student Effort Type	Hours
Lectures	20
Seminar (or Webinar)	2
Autonomous Student Learning	80
Online Learning	4
Total	106

Not applicable to this module.

Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy  

Description	Timing		Component Scale		% of Final Grade
Project: Part 1: Healthy ageing resource (e.g. information leaflet; poster; active retirement activity) (1200 words) (50%) Part 2: Care plan (1200 words) (50%)	Throughout the Trimester	n/a	Graded	Yes	100

 

Remediation Type	Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit	Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

Student feedback will be given to students individually within the required time frame, as per Academic Regulations.

NB This reading list is indicative and there is no requirement for students to purchase any of the books listed. The listed journal articles are available via UCD Library

Recommended Textbook:
• Touhy, T. A. and Jett, K. F. (2019) Ebersole & Hess' Toward Healthy Aging: Human Needs and Nursing Response. 20th Edition edn. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.

Indicative Reading:
• Burke, K. E., Schnittger, R., O'Dea, B., Buckley, V., Wherton, J. P. and Lawlor, B. A. (2012) 'Factors associated with perceived health in older adult Irish population', Aging Ment Health, 16(3), pp. 288-95.
• Department of Health (2013) National Positive Ageing Strategy, Dublin: Department of Health. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/737780-national-positive-ageing-strategy/.
• Department of Health (2018) Positive Ageing Indicators Report 2018, Dublin: Department of Health. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0e84e9-positive-ageing-indicators-2018/.
• Department of Health (2019) Health in Ireland Key Trends 2019, Dublin: Department of Health. Available at: https://assets.gov.ie/45117/6a4f970018d6477bac38f4539f80e927.pdf.
• Doolan-Noble, F., Mehta, P., Waters, D. and Baxter, G. D. (2019) 'Supporting ageing well research: Findings from a research priority setting exercise', Australas J Ageing, 38(2), pp. 136-143.
• Elbourne, H. and Le May, A.E. (2020) Nursing Older People: Realities of Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
• Health Information and Equality Authority (HIQA) (2015) Guidance - Communicating in plain English, Adults, Dublin: HIQA. Available at: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2017-02/Guidance-Communicating-in-plain-English-adults.pdf.
• Kelly, J. (2014) 'Nursing issues and concerns in the care of older persons in acute hospital care in the Republic of Ireland: a Delphi study', J Clin Nurs, 23(23-24), pp. 3603-6.
• Malik, M., Moore, Z., Patton, D., O'Connor, T. and Nugent, L. E. (2018) 'The impact of geriatric focused nurse assessment and intervention in the emergency department: A systematic review', Int Emerg Nurs, 37, pp. 52-60.
• Mann, J., Quigley, R., Harvey, D., Tait, M., Williams, G. and Strivens, E. (2020) 'OPEN ARCH: integrated care at the primary-secondary interface for the community-dwelling older person with complex needs', Aust J Prim Health, 26(2), pp. 104-108.
• Nolan, A., Ma, Y. and Moore, P. (2016) Changes in Public Healthcare Entitlement and Healthcare Utilisation among the Older Population in Ireland, Dublin: Trinity College Dublin. Available at: https://tilda.tcd.ie/publications/reports/pdf/Report_PublicHealthcareEntitlement.pdf.
• Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2015) Working with older people: Professional guidance, Dublin: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. Available at: https://www.nmbi.ie/nmbi/media/NMBI/Publications/working-with-older-people.pdf?ext=.pdf.
• Phelan, A. (2015) 'Protecting care home residents from mistreatment and abuse: on the need for policy', Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 8, pp. 215-23.
• Sowa, A., Tobiasz-Adamczyk, B., Topór-Mądry, R., Poscia, A. and la Milia, D. I. (2016) 'Predictors of healthy ageing: public health policy targets', BMC Health Services Research, 16(5), pp. 289.
• Turner, N., Donoghue, O. and Kenny, R. A. (2018) Wellbeing and Health in Ireland’s over 50s 2009-2016, Dublin: Trinity College Dublin. Available at: https://tilda.tcd.ie/publications/reports/pdf/w4-key-findings-report/TILDA-Wave4-Key-Findings-report.pdf.
• World Health Organisation (2017) 10 Priorities Towards a Decade of Action on Healthy Ageing, Geneva: World Health Organisation. Available at: https://www.who.int/ageing/WHO-ALC-10-priorities.pdf.

Name	Role
Dr Aoife Claire MacCormac	Lecturer / Co-Lecturer