The Advanced Care Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh is a new £20m interdisciplinary research collaboration aiming to transform later life with person centred integrated care
The vision of the ACRC is to play a vital role in addressing the Grand Challenge of ageing by transformational research that will support the functional ability of people in later life so they can contribute to their own welfare for longer. With fresh and diverse thinking across interdisciplinary perspectives our academy students will work to creatively embed deep understanding, data science, artificial intelligence, assistive technologies and robotics into systems of health and social care supporting the independence, dignity and quality-of-life of people living in their own homes and in supported care environments.
The ACRC Academy will equip future leaders to drive society’s response to the challenges of later life care provision; a problem which is growing in scale, complexity and urgency. Our alumni will become leaders in across a diverse range of pioneering and influential roles in the public, private and third sectors.
The coronavirus pandemic has heightened inequality, poverty and exclusion of older people of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, while exposing existing disparities within the health and social care system.
People of immigrant background have historically faced extreme disparities in access to health and social care, and housing and living conditions, leading to adverse health and wellbeing outcomes. Language and cultural barriers, a lack of knowledge about the health and social care systems, and systemic discrimination heighten their vulnerability, leaving this population unable to navigate the system to seek care. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the heightened vulnerability and disproportionate loss of life among this demographic group. The proposed research aims to investigate the social and public health determinants of ageing in respect of BAME older people, the enablers and barriers in access to health and social care and the use of assistive technologies in enhancing health and wellbeing outcomes.
The proposed research is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating a social sciences and public health understanding of health and wellbeing outcomes as experienced by BAME people in later life. Drawing on the intersectional dimensions of health and social care among BAME older people, an anticipated project outcome is to coproduce a model for designing and implementing more inclusive care pathways.
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