This collaboration with colleagues in three other universities (Plymouth, University of West of England and Cardiff is funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme
, an ESRC led, cross research council programme on ageing in Britain. The programme is a unique collaboration between five UK Research Councils - ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC and AHRC - and is the largest and most ambitious research programme on ageing ever mounted in the UK. Within this programme, the particular project that we are pursuing is a multidisciplinary research initiative with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life of older people in rural South West England and Wales. The theoretical framework that integrates seven research strands concerns the notion of ‘connectivity’ and older peoples’ engagement with civic society. CQR staff are involved in two strands of the project. Dr Kip Jones is leading a project which uses narrated biographies to examine how older people experience connectivity, rural place and space, and identity. The study focuses on the experiences and perceptions of rural living among older residents, in particular, those whose lifestyles may not fit existing community norms and/or remain invisible and disconnected. Accounts of the life stories of gay and lesbian older adults who live in remote rural areas will form the basis of a script for a professional level film. In a second study, Professors Kate Galvin and Les Todres are developing a new theory of well-being in order to better understand the mobility experiences of older people, and how this impacts on their quality of life. They are using some innovative modifications of a phenomenological approach in order to address quality of life issues in new ways.Read more about this project
Dr Kip Jones is part of a successful AHRC Beyond Text funded workshop programme, co-ordinated by Dr Sonali Shah ,University of Leeds, to explore disability history and culture through the relationship between performance and text. The workshops will aim to develop an interface between academia, performance practice and research. Jones will be one of the key speakers at the first workshop in London in November, 2008. For more information, contact Kip Jones at kipworld@gmail.com or Sonali Shah at splsls@leeds.ac.uk.
This collaboration between staff and doctoral students of Bournemouth University and Växjo University, Sweden meet twice a year in order to develop the theory and application of Lifeworld-led care and education. Vaxjo University is supported by a Swedish grant (STINT) and staff from Bournemouth University are supported by ERASMUS funding.
Centre staff who are involved in this collaboration are: Professor Les Todres, Professor Kate Galvin, Dr Steve Keen and Dr Karen Rees. This collaboration has resulted in joint presentations at international conferences, joint publications, and the development of an ongoing research programme.
Todres, L., Galvin, K. & Dahlberg, K. (2007). Lifeworld-led care: Revisiting a humanizing philosophy that integrates emerging trends. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 10(1), 53-63
Read more about this project (PDF 34 kb)
Staff from the Centre lead an evaluation of a telemedicine initiative, Tele reHabilitation through Interactive Video Endorsement (THRIVE). The study was undertaken, in collaboration with two European partners and the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital. The aim of the evaluation was to gather the views of discharged patients on their experience of using telemedicine through their involvement in the THRIVE project. The evaluation study was commissioned by Salisbury District Hospital who were, in turn, partners in a larger EU funded project on tele-medicine. Centre staff who were involved in the evaluation were Professor Kate Galvin, Professor Les Todres and Chris Vincent. A research report has been completed and two journal publications are in preparation on how Information Technology be used to develop the quality of life of spinal injury patients.
Vincent, C., Galvin, K & Todres, L. (2007) Tele Rehabilitation through Interactive Video Endorsement Study (THRIVE) - Using telemedicine to provide post-discharge support for patients with spinal cord injuries. Bournemouth University: Centre for Qualitative Research
Alterations in functional ability, social networks, socioeconomic factors and other demographic changes may often have a negative impact upon the quality of life reported by those in later life. A study by Francis C Biley, Michele Board and Jill Phillips, all from HSC, Bournemouth University, working in collaboration and funded by Age Concern Dorchester and Age Concern Chief Officer Wendy Hilton, explored the changes that people experienced in later life and the strategies that they employed in order to cope. Using a nominal group method to generate initial ideas and responses, a series of action learning meetings linked the world of learning with the world of action and sustainability through a reflective process within small cooperative action learning sets situated in rural and urban Dorset. Data collection is complete, and, at the time of writing, various publications and conference presentations are in the planning stage. For more information, please contact Francis C Biley on fbiley@bournemouth.ac.uk.