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  3. Alison Ward

  • Alison is a Senior Researcher, with particular research interests and expertise in dementia, creative engagement and wellbeing, and patient and public involvement. Alison has a strong background in service evaluation and mixed methods research, working with a range of charitable and health organisations. Alison is also the Lead of the Centre for Health Sciences and Services which supports and builds on the research and enterprise work of the Faculty of Health, Education and Society.

    Alison was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship 2015, part of the Baring Foundation’s Creative Ageing scheme, to visit Denmark and lead a project exploring the experiences of people with early stage dementia through photography and storytelling. This work has inspired Alison’s PhD, which explored how photography and storytelling can be used as a way to engage people with dementia in the research process. Alison is also developing research to explore and evaluate the use of drama with younger people, and is particularly interested in using drama and creative methods within the research process.

    • Dementia
    • Creative Arts and wellbeing
    • Patient and public engagement
    • Ageing

  • For publications, projects, datasets, research interests and activities, view Alison Ward’s research profile on Pure, the University of Northampton’s Research Explorer.

    • Thoft, D. S., Ward, A., & Youell, J. (2020) Journey of ethics – Conducting collaborative research with people with dementia. Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301220919887
    • Ward, A., Schack Thoft, D., Lomax, H. and Parkes, J. (2018) A visual and creative approach to exploring people with dementia’s experiences of being students at a school in Denmark. Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301218786636
    • Ward, A., Sorensen, K., Kousgaard, H., Schack Thoft, D. and Parkes, J. (2018) Going back to school – an opportunity for lifelong learning for people with dementia in Denmark (Innovative Practice). Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301218763190
    • Ward, A. and Brear, J. (2018) Using TimeSlips™ creative storytelling within an acute inpatient older person’s mental health ward. Occupational Therapy News, 26(3), 24-27.
    • Ward, A., Pyer, M., Parkes, J. and Hughes-Rowlands, R. (2018) Memory Day: Running a community event to create greater awareness and understanding of dementia and memory loss. Journal of Dementia Care, 26(2), 16-17.
    • Usher-Smith, J., Silarova, B., Ward, A., Youell, J., Muir, K., Campbell, J. and Warcaba, J. (2016) Incorporating cancer risk information into general practice: a qualitative study using focus groups with healthcare professionals. British Journal of General Practice. 0960-1643.
    • Ward, A. (2016) Exploring early stage dementia through photography and storytelling. Care Talk Magazine, 47, 5.
    • Ward, A. (2015) Exploring the Experiences of People with Early Stage Dementia through Photography and Storytelling. Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
    • Ward, A. and Parkes, J. (2015) An evaluation of a Singing for the Brain pilot with people with a learning disability and memory problems or a dementia. Dementia. 0(0), 1-15.
    • Parkes, J. and Ward, A. (2015) Forget me not: group support for younger people with dementia. Journal of Dementia Care. 23(4), 20-21. 
    Books and book chapters
    • Ward, A. (in press) Exploring the dynamics of story in dementia research: Storytelling constructs that support people with dementia to share their experiences of what it means to live with dementia. In Jennings S. Holmwood, C. Jacksties, S. (Eds) (INPRESS 2021) Routledge International Handbook of Stories and Therapeutic Storytelling. London: Routledge. 
    • Quinney, M., Ward, A. and Youell, J. (2019) Life Story Sharing: A Therapeutic Intervention in Palliative Care. In Bray, P. (ed.) Voices of illness. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill. 
    • Hayo, H., Ward, A. and Parkes, J. (2018) Young onset dementia: A guide to recognition, diagnosis and supporting individuals with dementia and their families. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
    • Youell, J., Ward, A. and Quinney, M. (2017) Supporting Wellbeing for People in Palliative Care: The Role of Sharing Stories for Wellbeing Life Story Workshops. In Davidson, J. and Saber, Y. (eds) Narrating Illness: Prospects and Constraints. Interdisciplinary Press.