Orla Phipps
Postgraduate researcher

Profile

Biography

As a full-time caregiver for my grandmother who lived with Alzheimer's, I felt a deep need to understand dementia better, and to help those living with the condition. Throughout the Covid pandemic, I made educational videos sharing my journey as a caregiver. I became a passionate advocate, collaborating with a range of charities and media channels. I then spent a year working in a care home as a life enrichment coordinator, before turning to the world of research. I have since completed my MSc at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in Dementia Studies, with my dissertation forming part of the DETERMIND project. Currently I am an NIHR SSCR funded PhD student at the University of York. The aim of my PhD is to gain an understanding of the preferences and experiences of residents and their families as they transition to life in a care home in a qualitative longitudinal study.

Research

Overview

Thesis title

Journeys Through Care: A qualitative longitudinal study exploring the preferences and experiences of people moving into care homes

Research topic

Older adults social care

Research interests

• Dementia
• Care homes
• Older adults social care
• Decision making
• Transitions in social care

Supervisor

• Professor Yvonne Birks