Vulnerâge: Lille hosted a multidisciplinary workshop on vulnerability and frailty related to ageing

Four research teams from health and the humanities and social sciences (EA 2694, STL, PSITEC and CeRIES), have created the ULille Vulnerâge network, and co-organized three workshops on "Vulnerability, frailty. Interdisciplinary approaches to disease experiences and care in the elderly”. Vulnerâge network, received a seed funding from The University of Lille and Boutiques de Sciences du Nord in order to develop Participatory Research on this important challenge. Researchers from InclusU partners institutions have joined the workshop in order to identify a future transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration on ageing and vulnerability within the alliance.

The first workshop hosted by the University of Lille, took place on the 12 November 2019.  The second one called Vulnerability, frailty: disease experience and life course, took place on 6 March at the MESHS (Maison Européenne des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société) in Lille.

During these two meetings, specialists discuss about interdisciplinary knowledge-based solutions for ageing challenges and holistic care. This was the opportunity to promote the association and coordination between various skills in the humanities and social sciences and in medicine and public health, in order to define common challenges and areas for research and shared action in the field of frailty and vulnerability.

Ageing is definitely a key issue for building more inclusive societies- and therefore one the major topics of the InclusU project. There is a lot to be shared in Europe about different ways to address the ageing challenge. This requires to cross boundaries between disciplines as well as boundaries between countries, in order to develop a new approach of creating and sharing knowledge on ageing.

Together, Vulnerâge network and InclusU partners will collaborate to develop new teaching possibilities and challenge-based training pathways for healthcare professionals.

The next workshop will be organized in May 15, 2020, called Vulnerability, frailty: support, care, acceptance.

About the network: Vulnerâge is intended to provide a cross- and multi-disciplinary analysis of the life paths and living conditions of frail older people. The concept of frailty is at the heart of geriatrics and that of vulnerability is central in research in the humanities and social sciences. These concepts refer to a set of medical, health, psychological and social factors likely to affect or alter the integrity, identity, quality of life or state of health of a subject. Frailty and Vulnerability therefore raise major ethical issues. Indeed, the way these concepts are defined will determine the legitimacy, limits, levers and obstacles of medico-social action adapted to populations and individuals in situations of frailty/vulnerability.