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The environments we grow old in present a challenge to be adaptive to our changing needs and limitations. Environments, in the context of this paper, are the spaces, products and product service systems that we engage with, alone or with others, within and outside the home. A design coalition (Manzini, 2015) was generated between a number of academic Institutions and ISAX (Ireland Smart Ageing Exchange) an 'ageing think tank' organisation in Ireland. The intention of this coalition was to generate awareness of needs requirements for age friendly environments and to provide an example of how participatory design research can inform innovation in business and policy development at a local and state level. A five-week study was conducted using design and ethnographic methods with twenty-two older adult participants (age range 69-80). The themes of study were identified as: mobility, public spaces, safety, social engagement, services & facilities. Cultural probes, semi-structured interviews and user observation, by both researchers and older adult participants, were used as methods to identify the unmet needs of participants within the sample group. A Co-Design Symposium (http://info.isax.ie/national-co-design-symposium) was held during June 2016 as an opportunity to demonstrate to a wider stakeholder audience the needs identified from this study. This Symposium was attended by over 100 people of various backgrounds (town planners, architects, transport experts, retailers, builders, health and other service providers). The older adult participants and designers (staff and researchers from the School of Design at the University of Limerick, IT Carlow, Limerick Institute of Technology and Limerick School of Art & Design) were placed within teams of ten. The research was presented using audio/visual presentation as well as artefacts from the fieldwork, completed diaries, scrapbooks, storyboards etc. Solutions were worked on, and delivered at the end of the day. This Symposium has impacted positively whereby policy makers in local government have invited ISAX to further discuss research outcomes and the needs of older adults as a means to develop access areas in and around Limerick City. This paper outlines in further detail the design research methods used, and the benefits through design education Student/Researcher/Stakeholder collaboration by application 'in the field' and displays the effectiveness of design coalitions in influencing and affecting change and insight into policy. It highlights how co-design collaborations can impact and generate design solutions that improve day to day experiences.

Throughout much of the 20th century, the Western classical vocal aesthetic dominated tertiary singing training in the Republic of Ireland. At the turn of the 21st century, and reflecting similar movements internationally, Irish institutions, examining boards and private teaching studios diversified to include musical theatre and popular styles of singing in degree programmes and syllabi. The purpose of this study was to further understand voice teacher perceptions of these shifts in pedagogical culture. This research questioned how classically trained teachers of singing negotiate teaching across styles in popular music genres, and also questioned if implicit, embodied cultural ideas about classical singing defined their educative approaches to popular music vocals. Data were collected through in-depth qualitative interviews with classically trained teachers of singing in the Republic of Ireland. Analysis of interview data revealed a number of themes which are discussed within a theoretical framework drawn from the work of Bourdieu, revealing that the participant teachers are involved in processes of negotiation and re-negotiation of personal and institutional habitus.

Health-related fitness (HRF) is theoretically defined as a multidimensional construct containing the components cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Given the range of field-based HRF tests available, health practitioners face a difficult task in selecting tests that best reflect the HRF construct as defined in the literature. This study aimed to investigate the underlying factor structure of the theoretical HRF construct with a view to identifying field-based tests representative of HRF in youth. Participants were 261 children (53% female, 47% male; mean age 12.22 ± 0.48 years). Indicators of four fitness components (20m shuttle run, curl-ups, push-ups, horizontal jump, vertical jump, handgrip, and modified back-saver sit-and-reach) were measured. Confirmatory factor analysis of the four-component model revealed a low contribution of flexibility (0.10) to the overall model, leading to its removal. The subsequent three-component model showed better fit across all fit statistics (NFI, TLI, CFI, RMSEA, SRMR). Analysis of indicator loadings led to the removal of handgrip (0.37), further improving model fit. The reduced three-component model was re-specified as a first-order model containing five indicators, and showed the best fit (NFI, CFI, SRMR). These findings suggest that a fitness construct in youth is adequately represented by three HRF components included in the theoretical definition (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance). These components load onto the same construct and can be tested using five tests (20m shuttle run, curl-ups, push-ups, horizontal jump, vertical jump) suitable for field-based research.

Aim: To better describe the role and timing of palliative care in supporting persons with intellectual disabilities and advanced dementia (AD). Background: Specialist palliative care providers have focused mostly on people with cancers. Working with persons with intellectual disabilities and AD offers opportunities to expand such palliative care to other populations and disease conditions and to better understand the timing and role of palliative care delivery. Methods: Thirteen focus group interviews were held involving staff in six intellectual disability services and one specialist palliative care provider in Ireland. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken to analysis. Results: Specialist palliative care staff recognized that person-centred care delivered in intellectual disability services was consistent with palliative approaches, but staff in intellectual disability services did not consider advanced dementia care as "palliative care". Both groups were unsure about the role of palliative care at early stage of dementia but appreciated specialist palliative care contributions in addressing pain and symptom management challenges. Conclusions: Successful extension of palliative care principles, philosophy and services to persons with intellectual disabilities and AD will require in-depth understanding of prevailing care philosophies and agreement regarding timing and the unique contributions of specialist palliative care services.

Background: Few empirical studies have compared quality and outcomes for residents with intellectual disability across intentional communities such as those organised by the Camphill communities in Ireland. Method: Using a multi-element research protocol developed for an earlier large study, data were gathered about the characteristics of N = 29 participants living in life-sharing residences organised by Camphill, management procedures, and outcomes for residents. Comparable data were available for N = 125 adults in group homes or campus residences. Results: Camphill residents reported a smaller size of household, higher staffing ratios, homely living areas, low levels of institutionalised practices such as social distance, reciprocal relationships with houseparents, and well-developed management procedures, as well as less choice, but were not found to be better on a range of other objective measures. Conclusion: Although modest in scale, present findings suggest that the value of applying distinctive benefits of life-sharing communities in more typical residential settings for people with intellectual disability should be investigated further to inform current policy debates. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Generally, staff working in settings that provide care for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) have not received specific education with respect to extended care for terminal illnesses or late-stage dementia. Equally, staff working in specialist palliative care often are not familiar with the unique issues of supporting persons with intellectual disabilities affected by dementia. To understand care concerns with respect to supporting persons with ID and advanced dementia, and to develop, deliver, and evaluate an educational intervention with staff in ID settings and specialist palliative care services, 14 focus group interviews were conducted with staff across six ID services and one specialist palliative care provider in the greater Dublin (Ireland) area. Qualitative descriptive analysis resulted in the emergence of key themes and formed the development of an educational intervention. Pre- and posttest questionnaires assessed responses to a pilot delivery of the educational intervention. Formal feedback from staff indicated that the educational intervention was highly valued and addressed key training concerns. They agreed that the training supported "aging in place," and the preparation for a "good death" including support for staff, peers, and family in their grief and bereavement. An educational intervention in the form of a trainer manual was produced to support cross-service system in-service training on issues of addressing advanced dementia in persons with ID.

This paper uses data from the 2014 Special Module of the European Social Survey on attitudes to immigration to investigate attitudes towards Muslim and White immigrants in Ireland. Drawing on theories of social identity, ethnic threat and social distance, the paper develops hypotheses about which factors influence attitudes to Muslim immigrants, and how and why they might differ from attitudes to White immigrants. Comparing these attitudes, we find evidence of an "ethnic hierarchy" in Ireland, with more positive attitudes to White than to Muslim immigrants. We also find that age and religious practice are associated with attitudes towards Muslim immigrants, but have only weak effects on attitudes towards White immigrants. The analysis reveals that an international terrorist attack had a negative effect on attitudes to Muslim immigrants but not on attitudes to White immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lynch Syndrome is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, arising from DNA mismatch repair. Lynch Syndrome carriers are at increased lifetime risk of developing certain cancers, such as colorectal and endometrial. This increased risk can result in adverse psychological outcomes. The present qualitative study explores the experiences of individuals with Lynch Syndrome when accessing and managing healthcare in the period after learning of their Lynch Syndrome status., Methods: Twelve interviews were conducted with Lynch Syndrome carriers in Ireland, with recruitment occurring predominantly online through closed social media platforms. This was coordinated by Lynch Syndrome Ireland, a patient representative group. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. There was significant Public and Patient Involvement in this study, with the committee members (N = 2) of Lynch Syndrome Ireland acting on the panel. The involvement of the PPI panel began from initial project idea conception and continued throughout the study., Results: Lynch Syndrome carriers highlighted the lack of adequate information from medical professionals regarding their diagnosis. Furthermore, participants spoke of the significant lack of knowledge amongst medical professionals about Lynch Syndrome. A theme depicting guilt was also noted regarding passing Lynch Syndrome to their children, and the worry experienced when children underwent genetic testing., Conclusions: This study highlighted the experiences of having a Lynch Syndrome diagnosis and demonstrates a need for further psychological and medical support for the Lynch Syndrome community, including a clear need for improvements in genetic cancer services in this field., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)