On April 9th, 2025, the HOMeAGE Public Lecture and Training Session took place at Open Universiteit Utrecht Campus in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The event featured a range of expert speakers who led discussions on ageing-in-place practices, inclusive research methodologies, and the importance of co-design with older adults.
The event began with a warm welcome from Alexander Peine and Karin van Leersum (Open University of the Netherlands), along with Kieran Walsh (HOMeAGE Coordinator, University of Galway, Ireland). This was followed by a series of engaging presentations that examined various aspects of ageing, care, and inclusivity.
Key Highlights from Day 1:
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Helen Manchester (University of Bristol, UK) presented on the importance of co-design with older adults, emphasizing the ethical and practical aspects of creating care-full, participatory design processes. She discussed the challenges and potential of engaging older adults in the design of technologies, especially in care homes and community settings.
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Daniel López Gómez (Open University of Catalonia, Spain) explored home-making in later life as an evolving, socio-material process. His session highlighted the role of digital technologies and built infrastructures, such as senior cohousing, in supporting aging-in-place and facilitating continuous adjustments made by older adults and their caregivers.
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Vera Roos (North-West University, South Africa) introduced the Mmogo-method®, an experiential, visual research tool designed to engage older adults in co-creating research data, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The session provided insights into the method’s application, cultural sensitivity, and its value in participatory research.
Afternoon Activities:
The Playshop 1 session, “All the Way Inclusive: Epistemic Justice & Good Practice in Inclusive Research,” led by Daniëlle Amelsbeek, Lesley Verbeek, and Bregt Lameris from the Open University of the Netherlands, focused on making research genuinely inclusive. The speakers shared their experiences working with co-researchers with developmental disabilities and demonstrated how inclusive research can benefit all involved.
Klasien Horstman (University of Maastricht, The Netherlands) concluded the day’s sessions with a presentation on caring communities and the design of spatial infrastructures that enable support networks for older adults. Klasien Horstman critiqued the individualistic paradigms in aging policies and discussed how public spaces and social infrastructures could be reimagined to foster caring communities.
Networking and Closing:
The event fostered rich dialogues on the intersection of aging, care, and inclusivity in research and design, setting the stage for future collaborations and learning. Stay tuned for updates on the next days of the HOMeAGE training event!
