As 2023 comes to a close, the research team here at TrinityHaus are wrapping up year 1 of our Health Research Board (HRB)-funded project: Planning and design for quality of life and resilience in residential long-term care settings for older people in Ireland. As part of our in-depth stakeholder engagement process, TrinityHaus researchers Prof. Des O’Neill (PI), Tom Grey, Dimitra Xidous and Jennifer O’Donoghue have been conducting various research activities including:

  • Online Consultation Form to capture the experiences and viewpoints of the general public on Long Term Residential Care (LTRC) in Ireland. We are still accepting responses to our Online Consultation Form and would be delighted if anyone with experience of LTRC for older people in Ireland would be willing to share their opinions/experiences in this brief online survey: https://forms.gle/cmhKA8PNN9i8ar4JA
  • Expert Interviews with various key organisations to discuss the planning and design of LTRC settings for older people in Ireland, in a way which supports quality of life and resilience
  • Onsite Case Study Visits and Analysis of numerous LTRC settings in Ireland to conduct focus groups with residents, family members and staff, as well as an in-depth on-site building analysis.
  • Walkability Audits completed in partnership with Age Friendly Ireland, one of our Public and Patient Involvement project co-applicants and Older Persons Councils local to each case study setting to assess the walkability of the setting from central locations within the community.

As of the end of Year 1 of the project, we have visited 7 of our 10 case study sites with each participating in a number of the above activities. With the new year comes the final 3 case study visits as well as the completion of all of the above research activities, findings from which will feed into a final research report, that will then underpin a set of Universal Design Guidelines for Residential Long-Term Care Settings in Ireland. We will be sharing progress on the research as well as some research findings at a stakeholder workshop taking place in Spring 2024.

We would like to express our huge appreciation for all the residents, family and staff members who have generously shared their time and experiences with us as part of our onsite visits. Their participation is essential to our research and allows us to ensure that their voices remain at the centre of our work.

With that said, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Roll on 2024!

Warm Regards,

TrinityHaus Research Team