Ageing unbound: from medical model to compassionate care
Ageing unbound: from medical model to compassionate care
The Ageing & Movement Research Group workshop, led by Dr Grace Pearson, on 29 April 2025 brought together healthcare professions students and educators, researchers, carers, and community members to explore ageing through a collaborative, inclusive lens.
Dr Lucy Pollock, Consultant Geriatrician Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton and author of The Book About Getting Older, emphasised the need to move beyond the traditional medical model to one that respects the socio-economic, cultural, and spiritual realities of older people.
The event was attended by a triumvirate including a resident – Di Oxley; a clinical colleague Deirdre Brunton; and an Innovation team member Sean Davey. Di, who lives at Cote Lane, commented “I found it heartening to learn that teaching of medics could be by tutors with empathy gained from listening and understanding patients.”
A key theme of the event was the importance of user involvement in shaping care and education. Attendees discussed how to improve medical and dental student training by incorporating real-world experiences—such as the Bristol Dental School’s partnership with St Monica Trust, where students learn dementia-sensitive oral care directly from carers in care home settings.
The workshop also addressed the growing crisis of loneliness and isolation among older people across all living environments. This led to a rich discussion on Compassionate Communities: a model originating in the U.S. that encourages grassroots, citizen-led support networks to complement formal care systems. In the UK, this model has been adapted in places like Frome, Somerset, where community connectors and local volunteers reduce hospital admissions by fostering social ties and practical support.
A particularly sensitive and powerful moment came when an attendee challenged the group to consider how we recognise and address the needs of ageing ethnic minority populations. In response, Deirdre Brunton (Clinical Care Lead at St Monica Trust) shared her experiences working in a Middle Eastern country and in London’s diverse communities—where language barriers required you to rely on body language, family dynamics, and intuitive listening to meet the needs of individuals and their families with cultural sensitivity and respect.
Participants reflected on their own ageing journeys and envisioned a future where care is not only clinically effective but also emotionally and socially responsive. The workshop concluded with a call to action: to build compassionate, connected communities that honour the dignity and diversity of ageing.