Outreach activities

Cooperation with politicians and other stakeholders

Target groups: Politicians and other stakeholders.

Cooperations with politicians

In 2017 the director of AgeCap, Ingmar Skoog, was invited to the Swedish parliament to talk for the leading opposition party Moderaterna, and in 2018 AgeCap was visited by the minister of social affairs. After this visit Ingmar Skoog became part of the Delegation for senior labour that was appoint by the Government. AgeCap researchers then wrote 7 of the reports underlying the recommendations presented by the Delegation in the fall 2020.In order to learn about research within AgeCap, the Working Group on Pensions, the Unit for Social Security, and the minister of social affairs visited AgeCap in 2018 and 2019.

In conjunction with the Swedish election in 2018, we organized a Political hearing regarding issues related to older persons and ageing titled Rich in years or old – what is the view of politicians on older persons? This was a dialogue between AgeCap researchers and local politicians from Gothenburg.

In 2019, Ingmar Skoog was elected as expert in the Advisory board for research regarding older persons that was initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs. During 2020 Ingmar Skoog was expert for the Corona Commission, and in the supervision of the care of older persons performed by the Swedish Health and Care Inspectorate (IVO).

 

Cooperation with other stakeholders

We cooperate with different stakeholders mainly trough our Stakeholders Advisory Board. The board was established to generate impact on our research and educational efforts and is expected to bring ideas and experiences that can initiate new research and provide input on ongoing research projects. The board serve as a facilitator for implementation of evidence-based findings. The Stakeholder Advisory Board includes operational staff and managers from health-, old age-, and home health care, and representatives from organizations for seniors, patients, and family members. The board meet twice a year to give input on research projects in AgeCap.

AgeCap has organised symposia with politicians, old age organisations, media representatives, unions, and employers organisations in Almedalen to discuss e.g. retirement age, how to make people work longer, older people in media, how to finance research in relation to old age, how to implement strategies in the health care system to prevent dementia etc

One example of another cooperation partner is Senior Göteborg, Gothenburg City's center of development for issues related to ageing. They initiate and leads development work for the city to become a better city for older persons, e.g. through the project Age-friendly Gothenburg. AgeCap collaborates with Senior Göteborg through joint activities and seminars, and by providing information and data related to ageing and the environment for reports to the municipality. Another of our partners is Aktiv Senior that are responsible for the development of activities for seniors in the municipality of Varbergs kommun. AgeCap is involved in site visits, and conferences by providing relevant data and researchers.

 

Filmed lectures with AgeCap researchers

In the fall 2020 a series of lectures with AgeCap researchers were filmed for the Swedish TV-channel Kunskapskanalen

Target groups: The public

Forte Talks 

Target groups: International and Swedish researchers, decision-makers and other actors within health, working life and welfare, the public, and media.

Forte talks 2019

AgeCap participated at Forte Talks in 2019 with a stand and scientific conversations with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP), and Ewa Wikström and Roy Liff (LEXLIV).

AgeCap participated at Forte Talks in 2016 with a stand and scientific conversations with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP) and Magnus Lindwall (ADA-Gero).

Nobel week dialogue

Target groups: Researchers, the public, various stakeholders and decision-makers, and media.

Ingmar Skoog participated in a panel to discuss diseases of ageing at the Nobel week dialogue in December 2014. The theme was The Age to come and the aim was to discuss new scientific and cultural perspectives on ageing. The discussions were broadcasted.

Almedalen

Target groups: Almedalen is a yearly meeting in Sweden with leading politicians, persons from industry, media, unions and other stakeholders and decision-makers.

AgeCap has participated in various activities during Almedalen since 2014. Here follows information on specific activities the different years.

2019

AgeCap hosted one seminar in Almedalen 2019 with the title: Who should decide in elder care? Politicians? Staff? Older persons themselves? The panel comprised Anders Palmgren (moderator), Ingmar Skoog (director AgeCap, moderator), Lotta Dellve (researcher), Lena Hellengren (Minister of Social affairs, S), Camilla Waltersson Grövall (Social policy spokesperson, M), Jakob Forssmed (First Deputy Chairman, K), Karin Rågsjö (Health policy spokesperson, V), Carola Gunnarsson (Vice Chairman SKL), Helena Bjurbäck (Commissioner for older people, City of Gothenburg)

2017

AgeCap took part in Almedalen with a symposium entitled Soon we will be more persons over 65 than under 16 - Crisis or opportunity? The symposium was divided into short presentations followed by conversation between researchers and politicians, media persons, the political parties’ youth organizations and representatives from seniors organizations. The panel comprised Anders Palmgren (moderator), Ingmar Skoog (moderator), Maria Edström (JMG, researcher), Maria Solevid (researcher in political science), Danile Seldén (researcher in sociology), Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson (researcher in historical science), Ethel Forsberg (general director Forte), Christina Rogestam (SPF Seniorerna), Christina Tallberg (PRO), Casten Almqvist (chair TV4), Jan Helin, program director (SVT) Marianne Rönnberg Galmor (Bjuvs nytt), Madeleine Harby Samuelsson (S, Secretary of State), Katarina Brännström (Moderaterna), Sandra Fogelberg (Grön Ungdom), Joar Forssell (Liberal Ungdom), Sofia Fölster (MUF), Niklas Säwén (SSU), and Elin Moren (Ung vänster). The following topics were discussed;

a) Older people in media: Invisible, adventurer or happy lottery winners?
b) The democratic deficit when older people are depicted in the media
c) Working longer - Do we have to work all our lives?
d) Demographic changes in the past and present - worrying, challenging or a new opportunity?

2016

AgeCap took part in Almedalen with various activities in 2016. We hosted one symposium titled We can prevent dementia, but who will pay? The panel comprised Anders Palmgren (moderator), Ingmar Skoog, Anders Wimo, Jenny Petersson (M) Member of Parliament, and Commissioner in the advisory committee of social affairs with responsibility for questions about aging and old age, Madeleine Harby Samuelsson (S) Secretary of State, Liselotte Jansson, the Alzheimer Foundation. Furthermore, the Minister for the Elderly, Åsa Regnér, met AgeCap researchers and tried on our Age Simulation Suit (see film on https://agecap.gu.se/aktuellt/media/almedalen/2016 We also had a tent for two days presenting with various AgeCap activities. The visitors could have Snax with an researcher, participating in our Ageing quiz, and share their experiences related to ageing and health. We also had a hot chair – an activity where AgeCap researchers were asked questions about different aspect of ageing by the public 
(Moderators: Anders Palmgren and Ingmar Skoog). This activity was recorded and is available through this embedded SoundCloud recording.

2015

AgeCap hosted two seminars in Almedalen 2015. The first was titled How do we best stimulate Swedish ageing research in a world of ageing? The panel comprised Anders Palmgren (moderator), Ingmar Skoog (director AgeCap), Susanne Iwarsson (director CASE, Mats Thorslund (professor ARC), Ewa Ställdal (director-general Forte), Sven Stafström (director-general VR), Gösta Bucht (professor emeritus Umeå University), Pernilla Baralt (Secretary of State), and Pam Fredman (Vice-Chancellor University of Gothenburg).

The second seminar was titled Can we work until our 90s? The panel comprised Anders Palmgren (moderator), Ingmar Skoog (director AgeCap), Björn Halleröd (professor LEXLIV), Boo Johansson ( professor ADA-Gero), Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff (professor FRESH), Lasse Thörn (LO), Irene Wennemo (Government Offices), Carina Lindfeldt (Svenskt näringsliv), and Ulf Kristersson (spokesman for economic policy, M).

Ingmar Skoog also participated as invited speaker in four other seminars related to ageing and health:

Every fourth Swedish person is over 65 years, are their skills being used? (hosted by SAM-Språk)
Swedish Elderly psychiatry must be developed, not discontinued (hosted by SPF Seniorerna)
What is the point of getting older? (hosted by Jonsereds herrgård/University of Gothenburg and Studieförbundet Bilda)
The life of older persons – do we care enough? (hosted by 1,6 & 2,6 million club).

2014
Ingmar Skoog took part in a seminar on ageing organised by University of Gothenburg with the talk Is 70 the new 20?

 

The Gothenburg Science festival

Target groups: The public, various stakeholders, and decision-makers, and media

2020

The AgeCap seminar in 2020 was about physical activity and brain function and was performed online. 

Participants were Physician and PhD student Jenna Najar, Lecurer and Physiotherapist Eva Holmgren, and Professor and Director Ingmar Skoog

 

2019

The AgeCap seminar in 2019 was entitled:  Wuthering thoughts in older days.

The seminar consisted of short lectures and discussions about the issues: What happens to the brain and cognition on older days? Can dementia be prevented? What is AI? How to measure intelligence? Is it good or bad to be digital on older days and how can you make it easier? Can health care for older persons be organized wiser?
Participants were neuropsychologists Jacob Stålhammar, media researcher Annika Bergström, physician and PhD student Jenna Najar, director of Bäckebol äldreomsorg Norra Hisingen Marie Fredsdotter, and associate prof in applied IT Alexandra Weilenmann and Olof Torgersson.

2018

AgeCap held a seminar at the Gothenburg Science Festival 2018 entitled; “When are we too old to be included?” One of four Swedish inhabitants are over age 60 years, but these voices are not heard in the public debate. The main question during the seminar was: When are older persons allowed to participate in the debate, in which arenas and in which roles? Researchers from AgeCap provided historical, media and legal perspectives on older peoples' place in society. Participants were: Eva-Maria Svensson (Dept. of Law), Maria Edström (Dept. of Journalism, Media and Communication), and Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson (Dept. of History).

2017

AgeCap held a seminar at the Gothenburg Science Festival with the title Trust in the welfare society - Do we dare to grow old? The seminar was organized as a discussion between researchers from different fields within AgeCap. Participating researchers were Ingmar Skoog (moderator), Lena Wängnerud (Dept. of Political science), Maria Edström (Dept. of Journalism, Media and Communication), Thomas Erhag (Dept. of Law), and Therese Bäckman (Dept. of Law).

2016

In 2016 AgeCap held a seminar with the title Distinctive but not yet equal in the fall of ageing- reports from AgeCap. The seminar comprised the following presentations:

To catch the unique in health promoting meetings (Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff, Susanne Gustafsson, Greta Häggblom Kronlöf , FRESH)
What is the point of retirement? (Mattias Bengtsson , LEXLIV)
Resilience – or to to flourish despite disability and multiple illness (Hanna Falk, EPINEP)
Depression in older persons – distinctive and unequal risk (Pia Gudmundsson, EPINEP

2015

In 2015, AgeCap arranged a seminar with the title: Ageing is also living – reports from AgeCap. The seminar comprised the following presentations:

70 is the new 20 (Ingmar Skoog, EPINEP)
Can we keep our memory and cognitive functions in spite of old age? Prerequisites and risks (Linda Hassing, ADA-Gero)
Factors related to individuals staying in working life even in high age (Björn Halleröd, LEXLIV)
A good and worthy life when we grow older - if we can have self-determination in our everyday lives (Synneve Dahlin-Ivanoff, Anna Dunér, Greta Häggblom-Kronlöf, Qarin Lood, Kajsa Eklund, FRESH)
Two aspects of life – lust and death (Madeleine Mellqvist Fässberg och Nils Beckman, EPINEP).

2014

In 2014, AgeCap arranged a seminar titled: A conversation related to older persons capability – from genes to society. The conversation was led by director Ingmar Skoog, and the Principal investigators from the other four research groups (Synneve Dahlin Ivanoff, Boo Johansson, Kaj Blennow, and Björn Halleröd) participated in the discussion.

The Svenska Demensdagarna

Target groups: Health care providers, health care professionals, and medical staff

2018

Dimitrios Kokkinakis participated in the Svenska demensdagarna 2018 and gave a presentation about how to detect very early language-related signs of dementia using language technology.

2017

Ingmar Skoog, the Director of AgeCap took part with a plenary talk on the prevention of dementia, and researcher Simona Sacuiu (EPINEP) was invited speaker.

2016

AgeCap took part in the Svenska Demensdagarna with a stand where the visitors could talk to AgeCap researchers, answer questions about life quality and capability, and receive information about activities within the Centre. In addition, we participated with several presentations; Ageing – prerequisites for cognitive health and well-being (Boo Johansson, ADA-Gero), Latest news on Alzheimer´s disease (Henrik Zetterberg, NEUROCHEM), and The Alzheimer´s disease medication of tomorrow – can we stop the loss of brain cells? (Anne Börjesson Hanson, EPINEP)

Gothenburg Book Fair

Target groups: The general public, branch people, and media

2019

AgeCap organized two dialogues entitled:

• Media image of persons rich in years: Rich and active or poor and fragile (Maria Edström (JMG), Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP) and Ragnhild Larsson (communicator AgeCap)
• When are we too old to participate? - Ageism in working life (Marianne Rundström (Journalist, Program Manager), Ewa Wikström (LEXLIV), Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP)

Researchers from AgeCap also participated in other dialogues:

• MIK for increased gender equality (Maria Edström, Brit Stakston, Claudia Wanderley, Maha Bashri, Piya Pongsapitaksanti)
• When will the news become equal? (Maria Edström)
• US, Trump and the women (Maria Edström, Meg Wolitzer, Tayari Jones)
• Death is over (Ingmar Skoog, Lina Wolff, Patrik Svensson)
 

2018

At the Book Fair 2018, AgeCap organized three activities entitled: “Ask a researcher”, “Try on our ageing suit” and “Test your knowledge related to ageing and in our quiz”. In addition, we hosted five different dialogues related to ageing as described below:

The importance of food for healthy aging

We know quite well what we need to eat to feel good. Are the needs of older persons different? What do older people need to eat to feel good? What is the role of diet in healthy ageing and in the prevention of age-related diseases and malnutrition? And what kind of food is actually offered to older persons?
Participants: Leif Mannerström, chef and writer of cook books, who often defend older person’s right to good and nutritious food. Jessica Samuelsson, dietician and researcher in AgeCap. Moderator: Ingmar Skoog, director AgeCap.

Ageism in the media

Several international studies show that older persons are underrepresented in the media. The researchers Maria Edström and Dimitrios Kokkinakis have examined texts about older persons and ageing in Swedish news media. Their preliminary results show that ageism is widespread, that is, prejudice against and discrimination of older persons because of their age.
Participants: Maria Edström, Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism, media and communication (JMG) and Dimitrios Kokkinakis from the Swedish Language Bank at Department of Swedish Language

When are we too old to be included?

One of four Swedish inhabitants are over age 60, but these voices often disappear in the debate. Questions discussed was: when are older persons allowed to participate in the debate, in which arenas and in which roles? Researchers from AgeCap, provided historical, media and legal perspectives on older people's place in society. 
Participants: Eva-Maria Svensson, Professor at Department of Law, Maria Edström, Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism, media and communication (JMG), and Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson, Associate Professor at the Department of History.

How do we get a good and valuable aging?
- An interdisciplinary conversation about aging and capability

Capability is our abilities to achieve goals and do things that we have reason to value. When we get older, the possibilities of health, genetics, personality, intellectual ability, family, friends, housing, workplace, political decisions, age discrimination and prejudice are affected. Three researchers discuss capability in elderly care, in the legal system and from a cognitive age perspective.
Participants: Lotta Dellve, Professor at Department of Sociology and Work Science, Boo Johansson, Professor at Department of Psychology, and Eva-Maria Svensson, Professor at Department of Law.

A dialogue about life and death

Rafael Donner has written the book Before you disappear, about an ageing celebrity father and an existentially confounded son, as well as an exchange of thought about life and death. And how does the age difference affect the relationship? Ingmar Skoog contributes with his knowledge of older persons and ageing in this conversation about life and death.
Participants: Rafael Donner, author och Ingmar Skoog, director of AgeCap

2017

AgeCap organized four dialogues on ageing and learning at the book fair in 2017:

• Ageing and learning A dialogue on aging and learning based on a journalistic, psychological and design-oriented perspective with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP), Annika Bergström (JMG), Boo Johansson (ADA-Gero) and Lisbeth Svengren-Holm (HDK)
• Ageing and learning A dialogue on aging and learning based on a psychological, cognitive and legal perspective with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP), Boo Johansson (ADA-Gero), Therese Bäckman (Dept of Law) and Anders Wallin (Inst of Neuroscience and Physiology)
• Ageing and learning A dialogue on aging and learning based on a neurochemical and sociological perspective with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP), Henrik Zetterberg (NEUROCHEM), Maria Flisbäck (LEXLIV) and Mattias Bengtsson (LEXLIV)
• Ageing and learning A dialogue on aging and learning based on the perspectives history, political science and health and rehabilitation with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP), Ulrika Lagerlöf-Nilsson (Dept of Historical studies), Lena Mårtensson (FRESH) and Lena Wägnerud (Dept of Political Science)

In addition, AgeCap researchers took part in several other activities and seminars at the book fair:

What is learning?

A seminar organized by the University of Gothenburg - with Ingmar Skoog (EPINEP)
Signs of dementia are found with the computer Analysis of speech and writing languages and eye movements using language technology can detect early-stage dementia- with Dimitrios Kokkinakis and Kristina Lundholm Fors (Dept of Swedish)

The voices of the archives

What happens to history when groups previously marginalized are given space? Come and take part of the Swedish female biographical dictionary - with Linus Karlsson and Ulrika Lagerlöf Nilsson (Dept of Historical studies)
Finally unbound? First steps as a retiree The book Farewell to work gives a sociological perspectives on the meaning of retirement - with Mattias Bengtsson and Marita Flisbäck (LEXLIV)

2016

Ingmar Skoog took part in three activities: First a discussion (Age is just a number) with Marianne Rundström, who had written a book about forced retirement and Tobias Baudin, LO about retirement age. Second, Ingmar Skoog took part in a discussion on ethical aspects of ageing with Johanna Gustafson Lundberg, Centre fot Theology and Religious Studies Lund University, and Sara Blom, stiftsadjunkt, Göteborgs stift och Lunds stift. Third, Ingmar Skoog gave a lecture about the H70-studies. Other AgeCap members at the Book Fair were Maria Edström and Eva-Maria Svensson, who had a symposium on media: Credibility for sale?

 

Global Week at University of Gothenburg

Target groups: Researchers, and the public

AgeCap participated in a seminar at the Global week in November 2014. Therese Rydberg (EPINEP) and Susanne Gustafsson (FRESH) presented our centre.

Open Seminar - Challenges in Ageing and health

Target groups: The public (in specific the older population), and health care professionals.

In order to develop our research and to identify gaps of knowledge, we organized an open seminar with a panel discussion including health- and elderly care professionals, and researchers from AgeCap in Maj 2015. The approximately 60 older persons who joined the seminar contributed with their own experiences regarding challenges and capabilities related to ageing and health. The results from these written contributions were summarized during a coffee brake and were presented and discussed in the end of the seminar.

Educational activities

The research within AgeCap is closely linked to education at the university. Since we have researchers from around 25 different disciplines, our research on ageing is closely linked with a large number of educational programs and courses. This is one of our most important goals linked to utilization, as we reach target groups that will work with ageing and health. Since the expansion of AgeCap with the venture of UGOT Challenges, knowledge of the capabilities of older people has been spread to more faculties and institutions, and more students encounter teaching about ageing and health during their education. For example, the concept of capability is a central concept in the specialist nursing program with a focus on care of older persons, and for specialists in geriatrics and psychiatry the concept of capability is included as part of suicide prevention. At the Department of Psychology, teaching is given on ageing and capability at all levels, including within the basic course in psychology as well as in the fields of geropsychology, cognitive psychology, health psychology and mental health.

Ageing and capability are also included in the work science program, the human resource management program and the sociology program. The medical program includes ageing and health in both the psychiatric and the geriatric course and research from AgeCap is also presented. Finally, issues regarding ageing are raised at lectures and seminars on the law program, the public health program, the journalist program, the speech and language pathology program, the social work program, the dental hygienist program, the basic course for occupational therapy, physiotherapy and dietician, at various specialist courses for nurses, as well as at the course health, medicine and Society at the Department of Historical Studies. The topic is also mentioned in several ways at both bachelor’s and master’s level.

Our master students and postgraduate students are naturally schooled into multidisciplinary research, which generates the comprehensive view on ageing and health applied within AgeCap. We have over 20 postgraduate students in AgeCap, who all do research on ageing and health. Several of the projects are multidisciplinary and the postgraduate students have supervisors from various faculties. Training on capability and ageing also takes place outside the university, for example within courses for resident physicians, general practitioners, and psychiatrists, as well as other psychiatric- and social services staff, where capability related to suicide prevention is discussed. Furthermore, AgeCap is partner of SWEAH – The Swedish National Graduate School for Competitive Science on Ageing and Health, which includes six postgraduate students from AgeCap.

The AgeCap Greenhouse is a forum where junior researchers can meet to find new interdisciplinary projects to collaborate on, exchange experiences and support each other. As described above, Greenhouse organises regular meetings and activities. Several joint PhD projects are on-going as part of AgeCap (e.g. Caroline Hasselgren sociology-psychiatry, Johan Skoog, psychology-psychiatry, Lina Rydén, psychiatry-rehabilitation, Therese Rydberg, psychiatry-FRESH, Hanna McInnes, social work-health and rehabilitation). 
Finally, we provide education on ageing and health to other target groups through popular science lectures, debate articles, through distribution of research results via the media and via our website and social media.