Old Age Care in Times of Crisis, Past & Present
Symposium 8-9 April 2021
Birkbeck & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London

Rarely in recent history has a global event such as the current pandemic brought care for older people into sharper focus. Now, as in the past, many struggle physically and/or mentally, due to a range of bio-psycho-social factors. The provision of care for older people has involved a host of actors from international agencies and NGOs, national and local governments, charities, campaigners, medical and care professionals, and, of course, families and community networks. What has happened to these endeavours, and to old age care as a whole, in times of crisis? Does crisis bring change – for better or worse – in the practices, ideas, cultures, laws, and structures surrounding care for older people?

In a two-day, cross-disciplinary symposium, we will consider how social care, medical treatment, and the rights of older people have been affected by major events such as war, pandemic, plague, famine, economic depression and austerity, industrialisation, political extremism, enslavement, colonialism, or environmental damage/collapse.

Reflections on old age care in times of crisis are welcome from any discipline across the humanities and social sciences at the symposium which will be held over two afternoons BST on 8 and 9 April 2021. For more information and to submit a proposal by 7 December, please visit the symposium blog.