Promotion of quality of life in older age and active ageing: follow-on funding

• Start date: 01 October 2010
• End date: 30 September 2011

With ESRC Growing Older and Cross- research council New Dynamics of Ageing programme funding (administered by ESRC), a measure of quality of life (QoL) in older age has been developed and tested - the Older People's Quality of Life questionnaire (OPQOL). This was derived from the views of older people themselves. It is ready for use in population assessment, and in the evaluation of policy outcomes directly aimed at older people, including ethnically diverse groups.

The research, which also supported the importance of having socio-psychological resources, is relevant to programmes promoting older-people's well-being. The aims of the award are:

1. dissemination of the OPQOL to policy and practice audiences for assessment of public policy
2. dissemination of the findings on how QoL in older age can be promoted, and active ageing enhanced to policy and practice audiences, and lay audiences.

The collaborators are the International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK) Policy and Research team, Age Concern England and Help the Aged Policy Unit, and an experienced journalist with experience of working on ESRC programmes (Pamela Merritt). We will develop policy reports and disseminate them to multi-sector policy makers, practitioners, lay people, and the press, and to hold dissemination meetings.