Current projectIn-depth inquiry

The future of ageing

Research and innovation related to ageing can help support people to flourish in older age, but can also raise significant ethical questions about how ageing is perceived, and how older adults are valued in our society.

In this in-depth inquiry we examined the role that biomedical research and technological innovation has to play in responding to the needs of an ageing population. We focused on three broad areas of research and innovation:

• Research into biological ageing
• Assistive, monitoring, and communications technologies such as health apps and smart home technologies
• Data-driven detection and diagnosis of age-related conditions

We note that research and innovation connected with ageing is often influenced by negative attitudes to ageing, and by assumptions about the attributes and roles of older people in society.

Many people and organisations have a role to play in challenging and changing ageist attitudes within the research and technology sector. A key step in making progress on this would be ensuring that research funding systems promote inclusivity in research, and research and innovation is directed towards addressing inequalities in health and wellbeing in older age.

Ethical toolkit

As part of the inquiry, the future of ageing working group developed an ethical toolkit, in the form of a series of prompts and questions, as a practical means for translating the ethical values and principles that we argue should underlie ageing-related research and innovation. The aim of the framework is to help all those concerned with the development, conduct, and implementation of research relating to living well in older age to think through the ethical implications of their work.

The interactive toolkit includes additional prompts and questions for both researchers/research teams and practitioners who work with older adults.

You can download the future of ageing: ethical considerations for research and innovation – an ethical framework and toolkit here.