Birkbeck & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London
Rarely
in recent history has a global event such as the current pandemic
brought care for older people into sharper focus. Now, as in the past,
many struggle physically and/or mentally, due to a range of
bio-psycho-social factors. The provision of care for older people has
involved a host of actors from international agencies and NGOs, national
and local governments, charities, campaigners, medical and care
professionals, and, of course, families and community networks. What has
happened to these endeavours, and to old age care as a whole, in times
of crisis? Does crisis bring change – for better or worse – in the
practices, ideas, cultures, laws, and structures surrounding care for
older people?
In a two-day, cross-disciplinary symposium, we will consider how social care, medical treatment, and the rights of older people have been affected by major events such as war, pandemic, plague, famine, economic depression and austerity, industrialisation, political extremism, enslavement, colonialism, or environmental damage/collapse.
Reflections on old age care in times of crisis are welcome from any discipline across the humanities and social sciences at the symposium, which will be held over two afternoons BST on 8 and 9 April 2021. For more information, please go to Oldagecareintimesofcrisis.blogspot.com
Image: Wellcome Collection. Alzheimer’s disease, artwork. Credit: Florence Winterflood. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
