Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory, Tools and Technology (TACT3)
The BUI is part of a consortium of Universities, small companies and charitable organisations that are working together on a £1.6 million project to find ways to reduce the impact of continence difficulties for older people, one of the least socially accepted signs of ageing. The project is a collaborative interdisciplinary research project, lead by the Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies (BIAS) and substantially funded by a Research Council New Dynamics of Ageing programme grant.
The research will be carried out by teams at Brunel University, The Royal College of Art, the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of the West of England and the Bristol Urological Institute.
The project will cover three key areas of continence research:
1 Treatment of incontinence: how can we improve outcomes for older people through improvements in NHS service provision?
2 Environmental barriers to continence: how can we design toilet facilities that are accessible and available for older people so that their lives are not restricted by a lack of suitable facilities?
3 Assistive technologies: how can sensor-based technology be applied to continence management to make continence problems easier and less stressful to manage?
The research started in November 2008 and will run for three years. The BUI’s role in the project is testing and trialling the assistive technologies.
For further information please visit: http://newdynamics.group.shef.ac.uk/projects/37