Dr Megan Wyatt is a Research Associate within the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory. She is currently working as a co-applicant on an interdisciplinary project which focuses on the use of restrictive practices for people living with dementia within acute settings.
Megan’s research is focused on responding to contemporary health challenges: how creativity in its different forms can be used to positively impact the lives of people living with dementia and provide new experiences and ways of communication. She has worked on research projects funded by a range of programmes including ‘The National Lottery Peoples and Places Programme’, The Countess Eleanor Peel Trust, the ‘Welsh Arts in Health Research Network’ and Nesta.
Megan has worked on numerous projects exploring the impact of creativity for people living with dementia and their care partners across a wide range of health, community and care settings. Using the findings from her research, Megan has worked with external stakeholders, service users and researchers to secure funding and develop, manage and facilitate a wide range of Arts in Health projects. She secured funding to develop and manage a 2-year weekly arts program in a North Wales based hospital for inpatients living with dementia and their family members. Her most recent work has explored how arts interventions can be successfully delivered remotely, particularly to people living with dementia and those who are at an increased risk of isolation.
Megan’s background is within the Arts, her PhD (2019) examined how people living with dementia engage with and experience painting whilst working alongside an artist-researcher (herself). Her research explores how artistic practices and methods can be used to positively impact the lives of people living with dementia with a particular interest in how this can be used to promote inclusivity whilst also developing new avenues of knowledge.
Megan has previously worked as a post-doctoral Research Associate at The University of Salford on a project exploring how people living with dementia and their care partners could live well within the community. Megan has recently co-authored a chapter within ‘The Practical Handbook of Dementia’ titled ‘The Magic of Paint’ which outlines various experiences that can be accessed through creative means.
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Qualifications
- PhD,University of Wales, 2016-2019
- Masters Art Practice, Wrexham Glyndwr University, 2012
- BA (First Class Hons) Fine Art, University of Chester, 2011
Research
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Research and publications
- Innes,A., Morris, l., Wyatt, M., & McEvoy, P. (2021). Communication skills training for family caregivers of people living with dementia: the experiences of peer facilitators and course attendees. Journal of Educational Gerontology,48(3) doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2021.2018961
- Innes, A., Smith, S., Wyatt, M., & Bushell, S. (2021) “It’s just so important that people’s voices are heard” The Dementia Associates Panel. The Journal of Aging Studies, 53.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100958
- Morris,L., Innes,A., Smith, S., Wilson, J., Bushell, S., & Wyatt, M. A qualitative evaluation of a Good Life Club on people living with dementia and care partners. Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice, 20 (7), 2478-2493. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301221998897
- Liggett, S & Wyatt, M. (2022). The Magic of Paint. To be published in The Practical Handbook of Dementia.
- Wyatt, M. (2019) Painting and dementia: A mixed method investigation into the creative dialogue between an artist and people living with dementia. PhD Thesis. University of Wales.
- Wyatt, M & Liggett, S. (2018). The potential of painting: unlocking Disenfranchised Grief for people living dementia. The Journal of Illness Crisis and Loss, 27(1), 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054137318780577
