UL president Professor Kerstin Mey presented the Outstanding Research Collaboration Award to Professor Rose Galvin and Professor Kate Robinson, co-directors of the Ageing Research Centre (ARC), at an awards ceremony hosted on campus.
One of the studies undertaken as part of the ARC collaboration is OPTIMEND, which introduced a dedicated team of health and social care professionals (HSCPs) into an emergency department (ED) to focus on timely assessment and intervention among people aged over 65 years.
Professor Galvin explained the significance of the study, the success of which catalysed the establishment of teams on a nationwide scale, changing how older adults receive care in emergency departments.
“The OPTIMEND study was the first trial of its kind in the world. The evidence from this trial demonstrated the impact an interdisciplinary team of health and social care professionals operating within an emergency department can have on the outcomes and experiences of older adults,” Professor Galvin said.
