Watch Now: Old Age Care in Times of Crisis – Past and Present

16 Jun 2021

The UCC School of Law’s Professor Mary Donnelly recently participated in an online symposium examining how social care, medical treatment, and the rights of older people have been affected in times of crisis or severe disruption, and whether such disruption has brought about change (for better or worse) in care for older people.

The conference was organised by Birkbeck, University of London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The idea was conceived before the Covid-19 pandemic, at which point it became all the more pertinent.

In human rights terms, there are now significant moves towards the development of a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.  This reflects growing human rights concerns regarding residential care – many of which have come to the fore in the context of the pandemic. Professor Donnelly chaired a panel specifically examining these issues.  

Recordings of all the panel sessions at this multi-disciplinary conference – exploring issues from models and networks of care, to the politics of care for older people during historical crises, to care in the context of Covid-19 – are now available to watch online at: https://www.oldagecareincrisis.org/videos

Reflecting on the symposium, Professor Mary Donnelly said:

I was delighted to be part of this extraordinarily rich and varied conference which blended historical and contemporary perspectives. It was good to revisit the recordings which  have just come out – these will be of  interest to a wide range of viewers providing fascinating pictures of how societies over time have responded to issues relevant to old age in times of crisis.

Further information on Old Age Care in Times of Crisis – Past and Present is available here: https://www.oldagecareincrisis.org/