👀 Looking back at the IAGG 2026 World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, it was an intense and inspiring week – filled with presentations, discussions, new ideas, and countless conversations with colleagues from around the world. I’m leaving Amsterdam a little tired, but even more motivated for what’s ahead.
✨A particular highlight was seeing our EPICENTRE–PARTICIPATIO team contribute across workshops, symposiums, oral presentations, and posters. I’m especially proud of our PhD students Katja Jungo, Nora Peduzzi, and Séverine Soiron-Ballmer, who all delivered excellent presentations / poster and engaged confidently in discussions on our ethnographic research into participation in residential long-term care, assisted living, and home-based care. Watching their development was one of the highlights of the week.
🎙️I also had the pleasure of presenting our Reflexive Rubik’s Cube for Participatory Research with Older People together with Barbara Groot-Sluijsmans, Heidi Kaspar, thibauld moulaert , Anna Urbaniak, Nora Peduzzi & Katja Jungo, co-chairing a symposium on „The transformative potential of participation and what we learn from doing research with older adults from marginalized communities“ with Heidi Kaspar and @Eva Soom-Ammann, and contributing to several posters and presentations.
🌈✨Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the congress was seeing how many researchers are working towards the same goal: ensuring that older people remain part of society – not only while ageing, but also when they need more care and support. These conversations reinforced how important it is to continue building more inclusive and participatory long-term care systems.
🌸 A special thank you to Barbara Groot-Sluijsmans for being such a generous host. The canal boat 🚤 tour was a wonderful opportunity to continue conversations, strengthen collaborations, and experience Amsterdam from the water.
HashtagIAGG2026 HashtagParticipation HashtagLongTermCare HashtagAgeing HashtagEthnography HashtagParticipatoryResearch HashtagSocialWork HashtagCaringCities
Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit FHNW
Nursing Science (INS), Institut für Pflegewissenschaft, Universität Basel
PAAR NET (PAAR-Net)
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds SNF
Stiftung Pflegewissenschaft Schweiz