Arlene Bunton attends Global Ageing Network Summit 2025

The Brain Health ARC supported Arlene in attending The Global Ageing Network Summit (GAN) in Boston in October, joining leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore innovation, equity, and dignity in ageing.

I am a doctoral student in Applied Social Research at Stirling University studying Dementia and Ageing, specifically the intersectionality of identities in spousal care partnerships where one partner has dementia. I was invited to present my research at the Ageing Commons and display my poster. After attending GAN 2023 in Glasgow I was determined to go and gratefully received funding from the Brain Health ARC to attend. I hoped to leave feeling enthused, empowered, and eager to continue working within the field with a renewed energy so close to completion of my doctorate, and it certainly delivered that! These are my insights from across the three-day summit:

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Day One – Innovation in Aged Care
Vic Rayner OBE highlighted the urgency of embracing technology and AI without leaving older adults behind. Dr Joe Coughlin (MIT AgeLab) reframed ageing as a shared journey, not “about them but about us,” introducing the Quality Aging Needs pyramid - health, safety, connection, contribution, and legacy - as a framework for inclusive innovation. Tools like the AGNES empathy suit and Boston’s “living lab” showed how design can foster independence and inclusion.

Day Two – Research and Practice
Panels explored how the built environment prevents falls, with flooring, lighting, and passive tech shaping safety and wellbeing. In the Ageing Commons, I showcased my doctoral research on dementia care emphasised by the dyadic lens - seeing couples as units of care shaped by identity, emotion, and equity. Other presentations showcased decision aids for self-funders, disparities in service use across residence types, and the role of creative activities, nutrition, and technology in sustaining cognitive health and social connection.

Day Three – Sector Insights and Workforce Futures
Research highlighted the persistence of ageism in healthcare and community life, calling for education and advocacy. Studies on assisted living underscored the importance of smaller, non-profit models and registered nurse staffing. Nurse-led wellness programs in affordable housing reduced isolation and improved health, while rural ageing research revealed stark disparities in transport, food, and housing. Technology pilots like LifeLoop boosted staff satisfaction, while community health workers in Hawaii bridged cultural and systemic gaps. Workforce studies stressed onboarding, support, smarter scheduling, and career pathways as keys to retaining CNAs and HHAs.

Takeaway
Across all sessions, a clear message emerged: ageing is not decline but possibility. Innovation must be co-produced with older adults, embedding rights, equity, and dignity. Whether through design, technology, workforce reform, or relational care, the summit called on us to be “cathedral builders” - creating systems that honour ageing as a stage of life rich with purpose, connection, and legacy.