CNS News & Events

Workshop: 'Palliative Care in Neurodegeneration with a focus on Dementia

20 May 2016

An interdisciplinary workshop on “Palliative Care in Neurodegeneration with a focus on Dementia: Addressing complex questions through interdisciplinary research and reflection” will take place in the Kingsley hotel in Cork on Friday, 27th May. 

This workshop is funded by the Irish Research Council, and is being led by the Centre for Gerontology & Rehabilitation, University College Cork and National University of Ireland Galway, research performing organisations, as well as collaborators the All Ireland Institute of Hospice & Palliative Care (AIIHPC), the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), Dementia Research Education Advocacy in Motion (D.R.E.A.M), the Irish Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), and the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF).

Palliative care in Neurodegeneration, with a focus on Dementia:

Addressing complex questions through interdisciplinary research and reflection

27th May 2016, The Kingsley hotel, Cork

It is increasingly acknowledged that people with advanced neurological conditions have complex problems and needs that are often unrecognised and under-treated. Dementia is the most common neurological disorder and is a life-limiting condition, but very often is not recognised in this way. Yet, people with dementia, and their carers, have been shown to have palliative care needs equal to those of cancer patients. Similarly, other neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Motor Neurone Disease cause significant physical and psychosocial issues for the person,  and the best means to assess, and address, their palliative care needs requires further research. 

To lead the discussion throughout the day an outstanding multidisciplinary panel of speakers have been brought together, including both researchers and clinicians from across Ireland and the UK. Professor David Oliver, University of Kent: Palliative Care Physician with a special interest in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, will deliver the keynote address on “Research in neurodegenerative disease”.

 

Quote from Dr Suzanne Timmons, Consultant Geriatrician and Senior Lecturer, University College Cork

“While many disciplines have individually recognised the importance of research in palliative care for neurodegeneration, researchers often are approaching the issue from different perspectives and theoretical frameworks, and using diverse methodologies; these can be quite complementary but require discussion and development to maximise their value and the impact on the care of a person with a neurodegenerative disease.

(There is also a need for more cross-talk between researchers in dementia and researchers in palliative care, and therefore a platform for discussion, debate and shared thinking is essential to increase interdisciplinary collaboration.) optional

For these reasons, the current interdisciplinary workshop was organised, to foster future collaborations in research in Palliative Care in Neurodegeneration.

 

Quote from Ms Karen Charnley, Head of Institute, AIIHPC

“AIIHPC welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with University College Cork in delivering this worthwhile event. As a leading organisation with national and international influence in palliative care, the Institute recognises the challenges faced by the palliative care community in responding to the care needs of individuals living with life limiting conditions including neurodegenerative disease. AIIHPC’s Palliative Care Research Network, a collaborative of academic institutions and clinical researchers, offers significant interdisciplinary opportunities to support and drive the research agenda and engage meaningfully with service users/ carers. 

 

Quote from Ms Marie Lynch, Head of Healthcare Programmes, Irish Hospice Foundation

“The focus on interdisciplinary research in palliative care for people with advancing neurological disease is a welcome initiative.  This work will build on the Irish Hospice Foundation’s recent development initiatives in palliative care for people with dementia and those with advancing neurological disease.  We look forward to the outcomes from the workshop and will advocate the need to focus on translational research that will involve people with these diseases and their carers”.

 

 

 

 

Cork NeuroScience CNS Centre - Integrating Clinical and Basic Research

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