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| Maria Pierce graduated with a Bachelor degree in Social Science (B.Soc.Sc.) from UCD in 1997, following which she worked as a Research Officer in Irish and European Social Policy in Dublin. Maria started lecturing in Social Policy in University College Dublin, where she held the positions of Research and Teaching Fellow in Social Policy (2001-2004) and Researcher and Lecturer in Social Policy (2004-2005). Maria has taught both undergraduate and postgraduate students on a wide range of lecture courses including Social Policy and Ageing, Irish Family Policy, European Family Policy, Women and Social Policy, Social Policy and Disability, Health Policy, and Comparative Welfare States. Maria completed my doctoral thesis (October 2009), titled ‘Social Policy and Ageing-related Care in Ireland: An Exploration from a Social Constructionist Perspective’ through the SPARC Ph.D. Programme in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. She was a Research Fellow with SPARC, before joining the Living with Dementia research programme, also in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, TCD. Maria’s research interests lie in the the areas of social policy, ageing, and dementia. She has a particular interest in policy and service provision in relation to care for older people and people with dementia, theories of ageing, and constructionist perspectives on ageing. |
| Position Held |
Job Description |
Where |
Date From |
Date To |
| Research Fellow |
|
Living with Dementia Research Programme, School of Social Work and Social Policy, TCD |
January 2010 |
date |
| Research Fellow |
|
Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin |
1 March 2010 |
31 December 2010 |
| Research and Lecturer in Social Policy |
|
School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin |
2004 |
2005 |
| Research and Teaching Fellow in Social Policy |
|
School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin |
2001 |
2004 |
| Research Officer in Irish and European Social Policy |
|
Ralaheen Research and Design Ltd |
1997 |
2001 |
| Project title |
Research, Recommendations and Design Guidance for Dementia and Home Design for Ireland looking at New Build and Retro-fit Homes from a Universal Design Approach |
| Summary |
This study is being undertaken collaboratively by the Living with Dementia programme and TrinityHaus both based in TCD on behalf of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) at the National Disability Authority (NDA). The study will result in the development of new national guidelines - ‘Designing new homes/retro-fitting homes for people living with dementia through a Universal Design Approach', which will provide design professionals and relevant stakeholders with the necessary Universal Design guidance to design new homes or to retro-fit existing housing stock in order to enable, for as long as possible, people with dementia to remain living in their own homes and communities. The Research, Recommendations and Design Guidance will also cover the requirements of the families of those living with dementia will also be addressed. In addition to drawing on existing international research evidence, the Research Recommendations and Design Guidance will be informed by relevant stakeholders in Ireland. |
| Funding Agency |
Centre for Excellence in Universal Design at the National Disability Authority |
| Programme |
Living with Dementia programme and TrinityHaus |
| Type of Project |
|
| Date from |
18 December 2012 |
| Date to |
August 2013 |
| Person Months |
7 |
|
|
| Project title |
Creating an Evidence Base to Develop a National Dementia Strategy in Ireland |
| Summary |
This project aims to proivde the research evidence base for informing the Department of Health and Children in its development of a national dementia strategy for Ireland. The project has four key objectives. These are:
(1) a review of current and future demographic trends in Ireland, particularly in relation to those aged 65 and over with an estimate of the current and future (up to 2031) dementia prevalence rate;
(2) Specification of the main social and economic costs of dementia care;
(3) A review of current service availability and future demand for services; and
(4) A review of best practice in dementia care locally and internationally. |
| Funding Agency |
Atlanthic Philanthropies |
| Programme |
Living with Dementia research programme |
| Type of Project |
|
| Date from |
January 2011 |
| Date to |
December 2011 |
| Person Months |
12 |
|
|
| Project title |
Discussion Paper on Theories of Ageing and Approaches to Welfare in Ireland, North and South |
| Summary |
This discussion paper applies theories of ageing with the view to elucidating social policies for older people in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). The paper is intended to encourage discussion amongst key stakeholders on the evidence base required for developing appropriate policy and services for the ageing population in the two jurisdictions. The discussion paper analyses and inter-links: (1) theories of ageing; (2) constructions of ageing through social policies for older people in NI and the ROI; and (3) approaches to welfare in the two jurisdictions. |
| Funding Agency |
Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) |
| Programme |
Social Policy and Ageing Research Programme |
| Type of Project |
Research |
| Date from |
1 March 2010 |
| Date to |
|
| Person Months |
|
|
|
| Project title |
Social Policy and Ageing-related Care in Ireland: An Exploration from a Social Constructionist Perspective |
| Summary |
|
| Funding Agency |
Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre (SPARC) |
| Programme |
SPARC PhD Programme |
| Type of Project |
PhD |
| Date from |
01/10/2005 |
| Date to |
30/10/2009 |
| Person Months |
|
|
|
| Connolly, S., Gillespie, P., O'Shea, E., Cahill, S. and Pierce, M. , Estimating the economic and social costs of dementia in Ireland , Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 2012 |
Pierce, M., Cahill, S. and O'Shea, E. , Planning dementia services: New estimates of current and future prevalence rates of dementia for Ireland, Irish Journal of Psycholodgical Medicine , 2012
Notes: [Forthcoming ] |
| Constructions of Ageing in Irish social policy in, editor(s)Kennedy, P. and Quin, S. , Ageing and Social Policy in Ireland , Dublin, Univeristy College Dublin Press , 2008, pp5 - 19, [Maria Pierce] |
| Social care and older people in Ireland in, editor(s)Fanning, B. and Rush, M. , Care and Social Change in the Irish Welfare Economy , Dublin, UCD Press, 2006, [Pierce, M.] |
