Project Title: Exploring the role of Community Connectors and Care Transitions with Older People

Project Description:  Given an increasing older population in Ireland, a growing focus is being placed on non-medical interventions to target broader determinants of health and well-being to support older adults to live well, with the ultimate aim of ageing in place and minimising acute care.  While current policy and practice orientation focuses on supporting older adults to live well in their own homes, a stronger evidence base is required with regard to non-medical interventions for older people. 

The role of the Community Connector is one such non-medical intervention approach. Underpinned by Social Prescribing principles, the Community Connector is unique in that is it a role embedded within Community Specialist Teams for Older People (CST OP). The CST OP is an integrated care team for older people bringing together a range of multidisciplinary health and social care professionals to address complex care needs of older people. Working with the older person, the Community Connector co-creates a health and well-being plan centred around the priorities of the older person to address their needs through engagement with local non-medical supports and services, e.g. community walking groups, befriending services, bereavement support.  

The aim of this study is to explore and capture the role and impact Community Connectors play in the transition of older people to the community by: 

1).  Developing an evidence-based repository framework,  

2). Engaging with older people, family and carers to capture lived-experiences from a service implementation perspective, focusing on impact, facilitators and barriers of this key integrated care role 

3). Piloting a core outcome set for Community Connectors to support a standardised approach for development and implementation of the Community Connector role in Ireland. 

Duration of Project:  48 months 

Funding:  TUS fee waiver +  €4000 funding over the course of the project (€1000 per annum) to support training and development + costs of 3 Open Access publications (€1750 each) provided by the University of Limerick  

Type of Degree Offered: MA tracking PhD  

Minimum Qualifications/Experience Necessary/Any Other Requirements:  

Candidates must hold a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree in social care or the social sciences or a closely related discipline.  A background in working with older people within the health and social care or community development sectors is highly advantageous.  Candidates must possess robust written and oral communication skills and demonstrate an ability to work independently and self-direct in socially-engaged research. 

IELTS [International English Testing System] Applicants must have a minimum of 6.0 with no component score less than 6.0. 

Research Supervisors:  Dr. Frank Houghton, Jennifer Moran Stritch, Dr. Christine Fitzgerald (UL) 

For further information please contact:  Jennifer.stritch@tus.ie 

Download Application Form at Funded Postgraduate Research Opportunities - TUS 

Closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 5pm, 22 March 2024. 

Please submit your completed application:  pro@tus.ie