Dr Jane Fossey, who is also Honorary Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, won this prestigious award on 13th November as part of Dementia Care Awards 2015.
The judges at Dementia Care Awards said: “Jane has shown an expert level of skill and knowledge, implementing research into practice in the development of an integrated care home support service. She demonstrated ways of collaboratively working across services to find solutions together. She is already looking at ways to sustain the positive benefits of the interventions.”
The findings of her current research project WHELD – Well-being and Health for People with Dementia – will be published soon. It aims to combine the most effective elements of existing approaches to develop a comprehensive, practical staff training intervention.
Dr Fossey’s primary research interest is in the management of behavioural and psychiatric symptoms in dementia, by exploring alternative interventions for psychosocial care, with the aim of reducing pharmacological management. She has published key studies pertaining to the assessment and treatment of these symptoms in nursing-home residents.
Dr Fossey currently also works with CLARHC Oxford leading two dementia projects – i) Dignity Plus which is evaluating the effects of changes in the physical environment in care homes and community hospital wards on the experience of residents / staff and visitors and ii) Enhanced Care Home Outreach – evaluating a redesigned care home support service which integrates physical and health care provided to care homes.
She is also funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, and their current project “Caring For me and You” is evaluating the effectiveness of on-line Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with and without telephone support, for family carers of people with dementia . If anyone is interested in taking part in the study details can be found here or contact the study team.
Published: 25 November 2015