Assoc ProfessorSarah Donnelly

Member

I am coauthor to the award winning paper. The prize was also awarded to PhD student Freda Quinlan (Lead Author and Dr. Deirdre O’Donnell, co-supervisor as chosen by the Journal of Adult Protection Editor and Journal Committee Members.A significant advancement in the conceptualisation of familial harm is provided by Quinlan, Donnelly, and O’Donnell (2025), whose award-winning study addresses the theoretical void surrounding Filial Coercive Control (FCC). Utilising Rodgers’ (1989) evolutionary concept analysis, the authors synthesise existing evidence to define FCC as a "condition of unfreedom" characterised by persistent patterns of domination exerted by adult children over their ageing parents. This framework moves beyond traditional, event-based definitions of elder mistreatment by identifying specific attributes of systematic abuse, including intentional isolation, fear-based intimidation, and the exploitation of physical proximity within the domestic sphere. By constructing both ‘model’ and ‘contrary’ cases, the research established an operational definition that serves as an essential foundation for professional education and safeguarding intervention. This work argues that recognising the dynamics of power and control is a vital prerequisite for effective social work, particularly when dealing with the unique vulnerabilities of older parents who may be trapped in relational dependency

. Sarah co-presented with Sinead Tighe, Family Carer and their presentation was entitled ‘Two years on: Reflecting on the Impact of the Understanding Carer Harm Project on Policy, Practice and the Lived Experience’

Invited keynote presentation entitled: Caring for the Carers Balancing the rights of Carers and the Cared for Person in Ireland: Implications for Policy and Practice

Dr Sarah Donnelly was invited to give the prestigious Willie Bermingham Memorial Lecture at this year’s Irish Gerontological Society Conference in Athlone on ‘Ageism, Human Rights and Growing Old with Dignity’. The Willie Bermingham Lecture, which is sponsored by ALONE, is the keynote address at the Annual & Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society. The theme of the lecture is generally reflective of the presenter’s special interests and perspectives on ageing and older people Sarah was also awarded the ALONE Willie Bermingham Medal in recognition of her work in this area. Previous recipients include President Mary Robinson, Seamus Heaney and Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation. Sarah is pictured with Bibiana Savin of Sage Advocacy and Dr Emer Ahearne, President of the Irish Gerontological Society

Caring Communities in Ireland and Japan: Collaboration, engagement and intergeneration relations for realising Ageing in Place.

Invited Panellist to Social Democrats Annaul Left Bank Summer School. Panel Discussion on Long Term Care for Older People along with Prof Des O'Neill, Trinity Collge Dublin and Padraig Rice, Chair of Oireachtas Health Committee

I was part of the Irish Association of Social Workers delegation who presented to Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health's hearing on Adult Safeguarding policy and legislation giving expert Witness Testimony.

The formal launch and a capacity-building event for the UCD Ageing Network took place on Wednesday 25th June 2025. We are a university-wide interdisciplinary network, and we aim to bring ageing researchers and educators in this area together in conjunction with PhD students, early career researchers, as well as our respective academic partners. The Network sits under the Geary Institute for Public Policy and it is coordinated by Associate Professor Sarah Donnellv., SPSWSJ. The vision of UCD Ageing Network is to contribute to an age attuned world and to prepare for the economic and social shifts associated with population ageing in Irish Society and globally. We set out to progress age justice, equity, health and inclusion to enable older people to be: • Valued and respected. • To recognise and acknowledge older people as active agents and contributors to their communities and wider society, and when the time comes, to be cared for within their local communities and wider society. • We also want to work with older adults to develop strategies to enable these to happen.

Associate Professor Sarah Donnelly gave a keynote speech on ‘Protecting and Upholding Autonomy and Human Rights Across Continuums of Care for Older People' at the 9th Integrated Systems of Long-Term Care Conference, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, University of Iasi, Romania, 6th-7th May. 2025

Coauthored article ranked within the top 10% of most-viewed papers in Health Expectations journal in 2023.

Online webinar series.Carer Harm: A Challenge for Practitioners, Services and Research. ESWRA Seminar Series 2025 European Network for Gerontological Social Work/ Gerontological Social Work Special Interest Group

Associate Professor Sarah Donnelly gave an invited a keynote presentation to the annual National Safeguarding Conference, 2024 on 'Private Troubles or Public Issues?'

Associate Professor Sarah Donnelly, from UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, was invited to give the prestigious Willie Bermingham Memorial Lecture at this year’s Irish Gerontological Society Conference in Athlone on ‘Ageism, Human Rights and Growing Old with Dignity’. Sarah was awarded the ALONE Willie Bermingham Medal in recognition of her work in this area. Previous recipients include President Mary Robinson, Seamus Heaney and Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organisation. The Willie Bermingham Lecture, which is sponsored by ALONE, is the keynote address at the Annual and Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society. The theme of the lecture is reflective of the guest speaker’s special interests and perspectives on ageing and older people. In recent years lecturers have covered interests, concerns and challenges over a broad range of topics including medicine, economics, social policy and law.

I was invited to present to the Commission on Care for Older People on 'Supporting Older People in the Context of Family Caregiving'

Online webinar that brought together international academics and people with lived experience of dementia.

Invited contributor to the assessment of the Irish long-term care system. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to develop and validate the ‘State of Long-Term Care’ Monitoring and Assessment Instrument

Invited Keynote Speaker to Family Carers Ireland Research Conference 2023

Formative

Invited to meet with representatives of the Welsh Government's Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence Strategy 2022- 2026 Older Persons Stream to discus findings of Carer Hram study.

Interviewed by Niamh Griffin, Irish Examiner Health Correspondent on HSE New Discharge Policy for Older People