Name:
Dr Jemima Dooley
Job Title:
NIHR School for Primary Care Research Fellow / Senior Research Associate
Place of work / study:
Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol
Area of research:
Communication in dementia care / Innovative methods in dementia research
How is your work funded:
NIHR School for Primary Care Research / Brigstow Institute and Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (Bristol based funding)
Tell us a little about yourself:
I’m a conversation analyst and qualitative researcher: my PhD was in how doctors deliver dementia diagnosis, analysing video recordings of diagnosis feedback meetings. My current work explores how decisions are made in urgent care in dementia, so with out-of-hours services making decisions about whether to send people to hospital. I am also working on a co-produced project with a group of people with dementia called the Forget-Me-Nots, exploring peer support post-diagnosis and innovative methods of including people with dementia in research.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I’ve started surfing this past year, and I’m also learning to skateboard – I might be having a post-30s crisis!
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
I’ve wanted to work with people with dementia since working in a memory clinic after graduating, which was at the same time as my Grandma was diagnosed with mixed Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia. So many stereotypes exist around dementia, even with professionals who work with people with dementia regularly, whereas I’ve never met someone with dementia who has not been able to contribute meaningfully. I think methods such as conversation analysis can really shine a light on how different contexts and factors in communication can enhance or build a barrier with including people with dementia (and their families) in their healthcare.