Intro

The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory delivers research and education that informs and improves quality of care and support for people living with dementia, their families, and health and social staff caring for them.

We examine care across a range of care settings and for a diverse range of people.

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Contact the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory GIAM@uwl.ac.uk.

Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory: Leading research in dementia care.

Dementia: The Final Indignity - BBC Radio 4's File on 4

BBC File on 4 logo

Research into continence care for people with dementia in acute hospital settings, carried out by Professor Katie Featherstone, Dr Andy Northcott, and Dr Paula Boddington of the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory, was discussed on BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 which is available on demand on BBC Sounds

About us

The Institute is concerned with maintaining independence and improving quality of life for older people and for those living with dementia. The Institute responds to a pressing contemporary health and social care challenge: the need to improve the quality and humanity of care that people living with dementia receive locally and globally.

We use our research to further current understandings of cognitive decline and dementia, in turn improving the lived experiences of those affected. We develop and deliver evidence-based education and training that supports people living with dementia, their families, and the health and social care staff who care for and work with them.

Hear what Laurence Geller CBE, University Chancellor, has to say about The Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory.

 

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Our research informs policy development and practice intervention. All our education and research programmes are guided by an inclusive approach.

We are an interdisciplinary team that includes expertise in sociology, nursing, social policy, psychology, health policy, law, bioethics, epidemiology, and philosophy, hence our research draws upon a wide range of methodologies and is informed by our diverse disciplinary approaches.

The Institute is located in the School of Biomedical Sciences.

Meet the team

  • Katie Featherstone has tied up hair and is wearing a patterned grey jacket and beige top.

    Professor Katie Featherstone

    Professor of Sociology and Medicine, and Director of the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory

    Katie Featherstone is Professor of Sociology and Medicine, and Director of the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of West London.

    Katie’s research programme responds to a pressing contemporary NHS challenge: the need to improve the quality and humanity of care that people living with dementia receive during an acute hospital admission.

    Katie Featherstone is Professor of Sociology and Medicine, and Director of the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory within the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of West London.

    Katie’s research programme responds to a pressing contemporary NHS challenge: the need to improve the quality and humanity of care that people living with dementia receive during an acute hospital admission.

  • Current and previous GIAM postgraduate researchers

    Lori Amber Bourke (Current) 

    • PhD title/topic: ‘Examining the reasons for frequent use of emergency department by people with dementia’
    • Supervisors: Prof Juanita Hoe, Dr Snorri Rafnsson

    Ms Federica D’Andrea (2018-2022)

    • PhD title/topic: Using olfactory stimulation: a multi-sensory intervention in care homes for people with dementia
    • Supervisors: Prof Victoria Tischler (1st supervisor, GIAM), Prof Tom Dening, Dr Anne Churchill, Prof Pauline Fox
    External postgraduate researchers supported by GIAM staff

    Ms Kirti Paik-Inkar (London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism)

    • PhD title/topic: A mixed methods study to explore self-management approaches in individuals living with dementia
    • Supervisors: Dr Amalia Tsiami, Dr Snorri Rafnsson (2nd supervisor, GIAM), Dr John Hughes

    Mr Toby Williamson (European Institute for Person-Centred Health and Social Care)

    • PhD title/topic: Values based practice and dementia care
    • Supervisors: Prof Michael Loughlin, Dr Laura Cole (2nd supervisor, GIAM)

Current research

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion within all our research, education, and training. Our research has a focus on reducing health inequalities, and aims to reflect diversity of experience, including different geographical areas and demographic groups.

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Our current research programmes
  • Understanding the organisation and delivery of care for people living with dementia during an unscheduled hospital admission.
  • The development of psychosocial interventions to promote good practice and improve quality of life for people with dementia and their family carers.
  • Exploring the views and experiences of people living with dementia and their family carers on residential respite services, the timing of a move to long term care, and managing continence at home.
  • Investigating the influence of social relationships on cognitive, physical and mental health outcomes, and subjective well-being experiences, in older adults. 

Our postgraduate training programmes

If you are interested in taking a progressive approach to helping people with dementia and similar conditions, our MSc Dementia Studies: Contemporary Approaches to Practice helps you gain the specialist skills you will need.

You will learn from tutors with many years of experience in clinical, cultural and academic sectors, who are leaders in dementia research.

If you are considering our MSc Dementia Studies, please contact Dr Laura Cole with any questions you may have.

Study for your PhD with the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory

We are looking to recruit high-quality PhD candidates who can complete their doctoral research within three to six years (full time or part-time) in the following, but not limited to, ageing and dementia related topic areas:

  • Dementia in acute hospitals
  • Intensive care and dementia
  • Surveillance, technology and ageing
  • Healthy ageing and its determinants
  • Ageing and social relationships
  • Living well with dementia
  • Dementia, care and technology
  • Ethics, care and dementia
  • Minorities, ageing and dementia
  • Personal/intimate care (continence management)
  • Social care research (care homes and homecare)
  • Family carers and dementia
  • Delirium and hospital care

Please take a look at our available PhD projects for doctoral research in dementia and ageing. These can be viewed through the following link: PhD opportunities in Biomedical science. Scholarship funding, which provides an annual stipend and covers your PhD fees, may be available for eligible UK applicants.

Research degrees School of Biomedical Sciences

Current PhD opportunities in the School of Biomedical Sciences

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Two students at graduation tossing their caps in the air

UWL is committed to advancing knowledge and innovation in research and education to improve the lives of older people living with dementia. The team within GIAM has expertise in conducting multi-method research in dementia and ageing related studies, and can provide relevant mentoring and supervision to doctoral students.

Prospective candidates should possess a good postgraduate qualification (normally a master’s degree with merit or distinction) and relevant research or practice-based experience in ageing and dementia.

You will be a self-motivated and well-organised individual, who with supervision has the potential to develop as an independent researcher. Prospective candidates must have good presentation skills and be able to communicate sensitively and effectively in both spoken and written English.

For more information, or to discuss potential PhD applications and funding opportunities, please contact Dr Snorri Rafnsson.

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Currently available PhD scholarships

We are looking to recruit high quality PhD candidates who can complete their doctoral research in ageing and dementia related topics within three to six years (full-time or part-time). Applications are now open for VC Scholarships, which provide an annual stipend (£22,000 per year) and cover your PhD fees. These will be available for all eligible students (both home and international).

Particular attention will be paid to applications aligned with one (or more) of our research strategic priorities:

  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – We encourage applications promoting and embedding EDI values throughout the whole research process. We also encourage original research addressing key EDI-related challenges.
  • Interdisciplinarity – We encourage applications sitting across several UWL Schools/Colleges and demonstrating innovative research focus and/or methodologies.
  • Impact – We encourage applications demonstrating effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia. 

Application deadline: Friday 3 November 2023 (5.00 pm)

Interviews will take place on 4 and 5 December 2023.

Alzheimer's Research UK - Early Career Researcher (ECR) Programme

Alzheimer's Research UK's Early Career Researcher (ECR) Programme is led by Professor Katie Featherstone with support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). 

Three groups of six to ten ECRs work flexibly and collaboratively to identify their own needs and goals, and to develop the unique skills and strategies needed to navigate and build a scientific career.  

Find out more about the programme.

Alzheimer's Research UK: Make breakthroughs possible

Recent publications

  • Caring for people living with dementia in their own homes: A qualitative study exploring the role and experiences of registered nurses within a district nursing service in the UK

    In the UK, district nursing services (DNS) deliver care to people intheir own homes and have regular contact with people with dementia. Research conducted with nurses working in similar roles outside the UK suggests their contribution to high quality dementia care is limited by compassion fatigue, lack of dementia training and low levels of confidence. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the role and learning and support needs of nurses within DNS.

    Hoe, J., Trickey, A., & McGraw, C. (2022). Caring for people living with dementia in their own homes: A qualitative study exploring the role and experiences of registered nurses within a district nursing service in the UK. International Journal of Older People Nursing, e12491.  

    This publication is available online.

  • Achieving Quality and Effectiveness in Dementia Using Crisis Teams (AQUEDUCT): A Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Resource Kit

    Improving care at home for people with dementia is a core policy goal in the dementia strategies of many European countries. A challenge to effective home support is the occurrence of crises in the care of people with dementia which arise from changes in their health and social circumstances. Improving the management of these crises may prevent hospital admissions and facilitate better and longer care at home. This trial is part of a National Institute for Health Research funded programme, AQUEDUCT, which aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of teams working to manage crises in dementia.

    Coleston-Shields, D.M., Challis, D., Worden, A., Broome, E., Dening, T., Guo, B., Hoe, J., Lloyd-Evans, B., Moniz-Cook, E., Morris, S. and Poland, F., 2022. Achieving Quality and Effectiveness in Dementia Using Crisis Teams (AQUEDUCT): A Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial of a Resource Kit. Trials. 23(1), pp.1-12. 

    This publication is available to download free.

  • Understanding approaches to continence care for people living with dementia in acute hospital settings: an ethnographic study

    The acute hospital setting has become a key site of care for people living with dementia. People living with dementia are one of the largest populations within our hospitals, with the Department of Health recognising that 25-50% of all acute hospital admissions are also living with dementia. However, they are a highly vulnerable group within the hospital setting. Following an acute admission their functional abilities can deteriorate quickly and significantly. Detailed research is required to explore what constitutes “good care”.

    Featherstone K, Northcott A, Boddington P, Edwards D, Vougioukalou S, Bale S, et al. Understanding approaches to continence care for people living with dementia in acute hospital settings: an ethnographic study. Health Soc Care Deliv Res 2022;10(14)

    This publication is available to download free.

  • Wandering the Wards

    Katie Featherstone and Andy Northcott’s latest monograph 'Wandering the Wards' is published as part of the Routledge Studies in Health and Medical Anthropology series. It provides a detailed and unflinching ethnographic examination of everyday life within the contemporary hospital, focusing on the everyday care of people living with dementia.

    This is an open access publication available free to download.

    It was shortlisted for the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness (FSHI) Book Prize, 2021

  • Factors affecting dementia care practitioners

    Laura Cole’s latest publication, “Factors affecting dementia care practitioners' decision-making on moves to a care home for persons living with dementia: A factorial survey” in Health & Social Care in the Community from her recent NIHR funded study in collaboration with colleagues at Kings college London, explores factors that appeared to influence the decision older people living with dementia, family carers, care home managers and social workers to move to a care home.

  • Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly 

    This second edition of the Camberwell Assessment of Need in Elderly uniquely includes an overview and new perspectives of how the CANE has been utilised to assess the needs of older people across a range of settings internationally. This book builds on the evidence about using the CANE to assess the health and social needs of older people provided in the first edition. It includes contributions from academics and clinicians from across the globe, including the UK, Europe, South America and East Asia.

    This book contains chapters on the CANE’s continued application in various settings and older populations, including primary care, community and long-term care settings. There are chapters focusing specifically on the needs of people with young-onset dementia; how the needs of people with dementia impact on caregiver burden; plus two reviews that examine the needs of older people living alone and the self-perceived needs of people with dementia living in the community. Additional chapters highlight the potential usefulness of using the CANE for analysing health care costs and also for assessing the needs of people with dementia during crisis situations. A final chapter outlines some of the priority areas for future needs assessment research and older people.

    Both the full version CANE and short version (CANE-S) are included, along with a detailed manual and scoring guidance. The assessment forms are freely available to download from the Research Into Recovery and Cambridge websites.

    Hoe, J., & Orrell, M. (2021) Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly: CANE. Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press & RCPsych Publications.

  • The Bubble of Normalisation

    Improving dementia diagnosis rates are a key feature of dementia strategy and policy worldwide. This study aimed to explore the experience of carers of people diagnosed with dementia during or following a hospital admission in order to identify factors that had prevented them from seeking help beforehand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 informal carers including adults caring for a parent, a friend or a spouse diagnosed with dementia between 2010–2019, following an acute hospital admission for a physical health problem, having not sought help previously.

    Parker, M., Barlow, S., Hoe, J., & Aitken, L. M. (2021). The Bubble of Normalisation: A Qualitative Study of Carers of People with Dementia Who Do Not Seek Help for a Diagnosis. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology

    This is an open access publication available free to download.

  • What are the experiences and the perceptions of service users attending emergency departments for a mental health crisis?

    Historically, dualistic healthcare systems have resulted in limited mental healthcare provision within physical health settings, with service users reporting poor care specifically while attending emergency departments (EDs) in a mental health crisis. Modern approaches to healthcare recognise these inequalities and are moving towards integrating healthcare systems that allow more holistic and seamless experiences for service users. This mixed-method review examines the experiences and perceptions of service users attending EDs for a mental health crisis. Systematic searches of eight databases on two platforms (EBSCO, OVID) and grey literature databases (Open Grey, Base) were conducted.

    Sacre, M., Albert, R., & Hoe, J. (2022). What are the experiences and the perceptions of service users attending Emergency Department for a mental health crisis? A systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 31(2), pp.400-423.

    This is an open access publication available free to download.

  • Experiences of intimate continence care and the impact on the family

    Experiences of intimate continence care and the impact on the family dyad relationship for people living at home with dementia and their co-resident family members. Cole L, Drennan VM, Manthorpe J, Hatzidimitriadou E, Iliffe S. Dementia. (April 2022)

    Abstract:

    The experience of providing/receiving intimate continence care between family members can be difficult and emotive. Often, for people living with dementia this seems an area of care overlooked by professionals. This study investigated the experiences of intimate continence care for people living with dementia and their family member (the family dyad), and whether they viewed this as impacting on their relationship.

    This is an open access publication available free to download.

  • Understanding approaches to continence care for people living with dementia in acute hospital settings: an ethnographic study

    The latest NIHR report:

    Understanding approaches to continence care for people living with dementia in acute hospital settings: an ethnographic study Featherstone K, Northcott A, Boddington P, Edwards D, Vougioukalou S, Bale S et al. Health and Social Care Delivery Research  Volume: 10  Issue: 14 (Published 21-Jun-2022)

    Abstract:

    At any one time, up to half of all acute UK hospital beds are occupied by a person living with dementia, typically being seen for a condition unrelated to their dementia. However, such people are highly vulnerable in the hospital setting as their health can significantly and suddenly worsen during an admission. Change is needed to improve the care for people living with dementia during an acute hospital admission. This study focused on examining a common, but poorly understood, aspect of everyday care for people living with dementia during a hospital admission, that is their continence care.

Recent events

Listen to Dr Paula Boddington's speech at the European Parliament, where the theme was 'Towards the Artificial Intelligence Act' 

Video thumbnail featuring title 'Reminiscence in Action hosted with community groups' in blue circle. There is a man playing saxophone featured.

A film about an event hosted by UWL and the Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory in collaboration with Nubian life. This event brought local people from minority communities together in an opportunity to socialise and make new memories within a culturally sensitive and understanding environment.

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Contact the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory GIAM@uwl.ac.uk.

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