Respond Housing to work with Global Brain Health Institute in pilot brain health training programme

09^th November 2020: Respond, an Approved Housing Body and service provider said today that they are delighted to be working with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) to develop a brain health training programme for their staff who provide services in housing, family homeless services, daycare for older people, refugee resettlement and family support.

As part of an ongoing collaboration relating to the intersection of brain health and housing, Respond are working with the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) to develop and pilot a brain health training program for their staff. The program will enhance awareness and understanding of the importance of brain health; how threats to brain health can affect a person’s behaviour and interactions, the best practices to reduce and deal with threats to brain health, and how all stakeholders together can best cultivate their own brain health and that of the larger community.

This pilot brain training program will begin today on Monday the 9th of November 2020 and run until April. It is hoped that this pilot will inform other training initiatives.

Niamh Randall, National Spokesperson said Respond are excited to start their learning journey with GBHI.

“We see the importance of brain health in our work each and every day. Building homes so people have the security they need to put down roots within a thriving community is an important part of what we do. However, the journey doesn’t stop once the homes are built; it continues when we hand over the keys to our tenants and they embark upon this new chapter in their new homes. This training will help our staff teams build understanding of the importance of brain health and also to learn best practice approaches and techniques when working to support people to reach their full potential.”

Brian Lawlor, Deputy Director of GBHI said:

“We want to promote the concept of brain health and housing and raise awareness of the importance of a secure home and supported environment to everyone’s brain health and wellbeing. Housing is much more than a basic need; the right home environment can help grow brain connections and allow people to flourish in their communities.”

Contact: Helen McCormack, Communications Manager, Respond, 087 104 7793

Editors Notes

About Respond

Respond, a not‐for‐profit housing association, has been working all around Ireland for over 38 years. Our vision is that every family and individual in Ireland will have high‐quality housing as part of a vibrant and caring community. We firmly believe that housing and decent accommodation, in the areas where people want to live, are central to improving people’s lives and enhancing the health and well‐being of society. Approximately 10,378 tenants live in 4,520 homes across the 26 counties that we either own or manage, of these there are 4,250 Respond social tenancies.

We provide emergency accommodation with support for families who are homeless in six Family Homeless Services where our goal is to support families to move into secure homes as quickly as possible leaving homelessness behind. We provide wraparound support in relation to access to housing, mental and physical health services, family or parenting support and a range of other issues. We also continue to work with families once they have moved on to ensure the sustainability of these exits. In addition to housing and related work we also provide Day Care Services for Older People, Early Childhood Care and Education, Family Support and Refugee Resettlement Services.

Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are not-for-profit organisations that have a social purpose to provide for people’s housing needs by working in close co-operation with the Government, local authorities and relevant agencies.

Visit Respond.ie or find them on Twitter @Respondhousing

Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)

The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is a leader in the global community dedicated to protecting the world’s aging populations from threats to brain health. GBHI works to reduce the scale and impact of dementia around the world by training and connecting the next generation of leaders in brain health through the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program; by collaborating in expanding preventions and interventions; and by sharing knowledge and engaging in advocacy.

The Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program, based at GBHI, provides innovative training, networking and support to emerging leaders who are focused on bringing transformative change to improve brain health and reduce the impact of dementia worldwide. It is one of seven Atlantic Fellows programs to advance fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies.

GBHI is based at the University of California, San Francisco, and Trinity College Dublin. Visit http://www.gbhi.org or find them on Twitter @GBHI_Fellows.