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Dr. Ian Davies-Abbott

Academic

Area
Centre for Applied Dementia Studies
Faculty of Health Studies
E-mail

Biography

I joined the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies as an Assistant Professor in Dementia Studies in November 2023.

I have a background in mental health nursing, teaching and research. I am particularly interested in qualitative approaches with a background of applying Appreciative Inquiry, positioning theory and semi-structured interviews in research. I am interested in how language constructs accepted realities that result in positive and negative social actions and how these realities can be challenged. The primary focus of my research has been the lived experience of people living with dementia and giving a voice to seldom heard groups.

My PhD thesis was entitled ‘Discourse and dementia’, which reconfigured the Appreciative Inquiry methodology to support a group of people living with dementia to design a short film, which was then used to positively influence the language used by others about dementia.

I was the principal investigator of the study ‘Language creates reality’ which explored how Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) can be applied to clinical case note writing about people living with dementia. I was a co-principal investigator in the Celtic Advanced Life Science Innovation Network (CALIN) project, which connected businesses, academia and healthcare with experts from six leading universities across Ireland and Wales. I was a co-lead for the work package, Environments of Ageing as a member of the Centre for Ageing & Dementia Research (CADR) and supported Public Health Wales regarding the All-Wales Dementia Care Pathway of Standards, focussing on standard 16: DCM. I was the author of the Welsh national strategy and implementation guide for DCM, published in 2022. During the covid-19 pandemic, I was involved in a study which used DCM to gain an insight into experiences on mental health wards during lockdown and led another research project exploring the experience of a person living in a care home with dementia during lockdown. I was a co-researcher on the Rare Dementia Impact Study and led a study exploring the referral pathways for people living with dementia in Wales. I led and continue to support the Rare Dementia Support in Wales group, which is a monthly on-line group for people affected by rare types of dementia in Wales.

I have previously completed a Small Business Research Initiative project which attempted to provide an innovative solution to the acute anxiety often experienced by people living with dementia when travelling to and attending hospital appointments. Many of my projects have resulted in outcomes that have value beyond academic outputs, including the development of new pathways for people living with dementia who are admitted to older person’s mental health wards, health board policies regarding sexual safety and the development of the first published guidance for clinicians working with transgender people living with dementia.

I am currently working on projects regarding the positioning of people living with dementia in cinema and the potential of resilience building through role playing games.

I have experience as a PhD and MSc supervisor.

Research

Appreciative Inquiry
Positioning theory
DCM
Creative approaches

Teaching

Modules

  • Psychosocial and Pharmacological Support for People with Dementia - DEM7024-C
  • Assessment and Diagnosis of Dementia - DEM7001-C

Publications

  • How people living with dementia using Appreciative Inquiry influenced language and attitudes towards dementia in health workers, caregivers and members of the public

    Davies-Abbott, I., Huws, J. and Williams, S. (2024) 2024 Geneva - Alzheimer Europe.

  • Language informs practice: Using DCM to analyse case note entries

    Davies-Abbott, I. and Roberts, E. (2024) Dementia Care Mapping Conference.

  • Establishing authentic partnerships with people living with dementia as educators within a university curriculum

    Jones, C. H., Davies Abbott, I. & Caulfield, M. (2023) Alzheimer's Europe- New opportunities in dementia care, policy and research.

  • Diagnostic pathways for people living with rare types of dementia

    Davies-Abbott. I, Anthony, B. & Jackson, K. (2023) International Psychogeriatric Association Congress.

  • Pathways to a diagnosis of rare dementia: The experiences of people living with dementia and their families

    Davies-Abbott. I, Anthony, B. & Jackson, K. (2023) Alzheimer's Europe- New opportunities in dementia care, policy and research.

  • Language creates reality: Advancing the use of Dementia Care Mapping to challenge discriminatory language in healthcare case notes and improve person-centred practice

    Davies Abbott, I., Daunt, J. & Roberts, E. (2023) Alzheimer's Europe- New opportunities in dementia care, policy and research.

  • Personhood and Blade Runner

    Davies-Abbott, I. (2022) Blade Runner @ 40.

  • People living with dementia using Appreciative Inquiry to challenge discourse

    Davies Abbott, I., Huws, J. & Williams, S. (2022) • Alzheimer's Disease International Conference: Alzheimer's Disease International's 35th Conference.

  • Language creates reality

    Davies-Abbott, I., Daunt, J. & Roberts, E. (2022) CADR Conference 2023 Wales – A good place to grow old; Inclusivity across the life course.

  • Dementia Care Mapping: An audit of results during the covid-19 pandemic

    Davies-Abbott. I., Page, S. & Jones, A. (2021) CADR Conference 2021.

  • Whys are dementia assessment wards and their nurses continually overlooked?

    Davies-Abbott, I and Keady, J. (2024) Nursing times.