Please note: this event has passed
Due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been necessary to cancel this seminar. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.
This event is also part of the series 'Pandemics and Inequality: the ethical, legal and policy challenges of tackling COVID-19 in an unequal world'
The event will be hosted virtually via Microsoft Teams. Please register to receive the joining link.
Event Abstract
The older population has been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. Older adults are at a considerably higher risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 and of dying from the disease. Several countries have reported that 50% or more of their COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in care and nursing homes, raising questions about how long-term care facilities could have better protected their residents. Many older people also face specific challenges related to the societal response to the pandemic. Lockdowns and social distancing requirements may make it more difficult for older people to get the care that they need. Older people living on their own may be at particularly high risk of social isolation and loneliness and the associated detrimental effects on physical and mental health due to lockdown policies. People living with dementia likely face a higher risk of contracting the disease as well as suffering from social distancing and visitors’ bans, as their cognitive impairments may prevent them from understanding and following infection control guidelines or to understand why they are not seeing their loved ones.
This session is dedicated to examining the different ways in which older people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the appropriate legal and political avenues for addressing the issues faced by older people.
Event Speakers
Professor Peter Lloyd-Sherlock is Professor of Social Policy and International Development at the University of East Anglia. His research focuses on social protection, health and the wellbeing of older people in developing countries. He is also interested in the economic and social effects of non-communicable diseases, such as stroke, heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. Peter works closely with a wide range of international development agencies. Between 2011 and 2012 he held a Senior Research Fellowship at the UK Government's Department for International Development, providing advice on social development and social protection. Between 2010 and 2011 he was seconded to the World Health Organisation's Ageing and Lifecourse Programme, as lead planner for a new WHO Programme on Primary Healthcare for Older People. He has also worked with the UN Secretary General’s Office to promote national capacity for mainstreaming age into development policy. As part of this, he was the primary author for a United Nations Report "Guide to the National Implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing" (2008).
Professor David C. Grabowski PhD, is a Professor of Health Care Policy in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School. His research examines the economics of aging with a particular interest in the areas of long-term care and post-acute care. His works also examines the integration and coordination of care for dually eligible beneficiaries. Dr. Grabowski has been the Principal Investigator on five R01s from the National Institute on Aging on projects related to the value of post-acute care, skilled nursing facility payment, demand for long-term care insurance, specialization in dementia care, and nonprofit provision of nursing home care. His research has also been supported by a number of private foundations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, Arnold Foundation, and the Donaghue Foundation. Dr. Grabowski also led a team at Harvard in the evaluation of the CMS Nursing Home Value-Based Purchasing Demonstration.
Dr. Grabowski is a member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), which is an independent agency established to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. He has also served on several CMS technical expert panels. He is an associate editor of the journal Forum for Health Economics and Policy and he is a member of the editorial boards of American Journal of Health Economics, Medical Care Research & Review and B.E. Journals in Economic Analysis & Policy. He was the 2004 recipient of the Thompson Prize for Young Investigators from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.