Second Opinion: The most remarkable achievement of the last century has been the lengthening of lifespan. It has not only increased in quantity but also in quality: those over 70 are more healthy now than their peers were 40 years ago, writes Desmond O'Neill.
One marker of the benefits of the increase in longevity has been the recognition of creativity in later life. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York in his 70s.
Equally, the late plays and poetry of Yeats and Beckett, the mature paintings of Tony O'Malley and Jack B Yeats or the music from Elliott Carter's 10th decade are other reminders of what we have gained.
The relatively sudden development of the possibility of living longer has also created new challenges, not least the negative perceptions of a society which tends to see ageing as a disadvantage.
It is unfortunately all too common to hear ageing described in negative terms, such as the demographic time bomb, rather than welcoming an increase in all of our lifespans. The need to redress undue emphasis on the losses instead of the gains is one of the goals of an exciting new development at Tallaght Hospital this summer.
Building on the Irish summer tradition of summer schools, the William Stokes Summer School on Ageing and Health is bringing together key researchers and scientists in ageing from Ireland and Europe to present an overview of ageing and health.
Health is a key issue: the lay public often confuse the negative effects of disease in later life with the ageing process itself. We are closer to understanding that age-related diseases are not only amenable to better treatment but also there are exciting possibilities for prevention of major diseases such as stroke and dementia.
However, we will need to change our mind-set and our way of delivering health and social care if we are to succeed. The European Union, in its policy document on ageing, Towards a Europe for All Ages, recognises this when it states that older people require substantially different healthcare provision to ensure their ability to participate in society.
The EU and the World Health Organisation also recognise a pressing need to train many more people in Ageing Studies. The summer school arises out of this concern, and is associated with the EU Masters Programme in Gerontology, funded by the public health portfolio of Commissioner David Byrne.
The programme will include broad overviews of the subject, starting with an anthropological survey of perceptions of ageing from Prof Andreas Drusini of the University of Padua, whose field work in Peru has featured in Horizon on BBC2.
Perspectives on societal approaches to ageing and health will be given by Prof Charles Normand, the holder of the Edward Kennedy Chair in Health Policy at TCD, Prof Cecily Kelleher, School of Public Health at UCD, and Dr Marie Laffoy, director of Public Health for the Eastern Regional Health Authority.
A novel approach is the use of technology to reduce disability, and this will be reported by two groups from TCD who are partners in European consortia developing technology in the care of stroke and dementia.
Stephen Chan from the National College of Art and Design will outline new approaches in design and ageing, and there will be a session on creativity and ageing. Other topics covered include transport and ageing, mental health, health promotion and a multi-faceted seminar on extended care, with input from health economics, social gerontology, geriatric medicine and human rights.
I am encouraged by the increasing critical mass of researchers in ageing in Ireland and feel that the summer school is timely. Ireland is about to undergo a significant change in the number of older people and, in particular, of those over 85.
It is vital that those involved in formulating policy have a firm grasp of the advantages and challenges posed by this phenomenon, as well as of basic gerontological principles. It has been recognised that our health structures may not be adequately geared to the more complex needs of older people. The solutions are relatively clear and often cost-effective but will require a significant re-orientation of our system.
The ageism inherent in programmes such as Breastcheck is a classic example, stopping screening at 65, the very time when the incidence of breast cancer begins to rise steeply. We hope delegates to the summer school will gain an insight into how successful ageing can be translated into a successful society.
Or, in the words of Bernard Isaacs, to learn that: "if we design for the old, we include the young; if we design for the young, we exclude the old."
• The William Stokes Summer School takes place from June 28th to July 2nd in the Education Centre at Tallaght Hospital. More information from http://indigo.ie/~arhc
Email: enquiries@haughton-institute.ie or telephone (01) 473 3788.