A feasibility study to determine whether there is a perceived need for a Wellbeing, Health & Occupation Centre for Older People by older people themselves. The study also identified what form the centre should take, what the centre might offer and what expertise from within the university would be required to run it.

Project Outline

Older people are the focus of this feasibility study being led by the WHOOP group (Wellbeing, Health & Occupation for Older People) at the university. A Research Officer based in the Clinical Research Centre for Health Professions (CRCHP) at Eastbourne conducted a feasibility study using focus groups, analysis and a consensus conference to determine whether there is a perceived need for a Wellbeing, Health & Occupation Centre for Older People by older people themselves.

The group believed that the centre would aim to offer education, advice and facilitation to older people in developing and maintaining their wellbeing and health and diversifying their retirement occupations. Possible key areas for development within the centre would be sport and exercise, art and creativity for health, web pages and health and mobility maintenance, all developed for older people. The centre could offer lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, one to one consultations with health care practitioners and group activities. Importantly the centre could be a place where older people could learn about research findings being produced by colleagues at the University of Brighton which can influence their health and wellbeing and all the activities in the centre would be evidence based.

Professor Ann Moore (Director of CRCHP) led the project and head the steering group which included three older persons, Brian Wyld (Regional Manager - Development) for Help the Aged, as well as representatives from other community groups and organisations who work with older people.

Project partners

The WHOOP group

The WHOOP research focus group includes academics and researchers from across the University of Brighton as well as representatives from local charitable trusts, for example Age Concern and Help the Aged.

Clinical Research Centre for Health Professions, University of Brighton

CRCHP was established within the School of Health Professions in 1993 and aims to contribute to the development of a valid research base for the advancement of the science and the art of the professions allied to medicine, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Research is conducted in the disciplines of Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Podiatry and the Centre hosts a series of monthly seminars and training seminars.