Participation in Everyday Life Research Group

We focus on studies about people, their everyday occupations and the environment
Participation in Everyday Life Research Group

Participation: What is it? 

Participation:
  • is ‘involvement in a life situation’ (WHO, 2001)
  • occurs when an individual and/or a community is involved in activities, which provide a sense of engagement, within the context of their everyday life
  • is a process as well as an outcome measure (Imms, 2017)
  • is a health and well-being outcome
  • is concerned with people, their occupations within their cultural, economic, physical, political and social environment.
Research Group Leader
  • Dr Alison Warren, Research Lead and Co-Academic Lead for Occupational Therapy, University of Plymouth. Extensive experience of integrating professional practice with service development and research. 
Professional Backgrounds of Research Group Membership
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Dietitians
  • Nurses
  • Chiropractors
  • Physiotherapists
  • Open to all.
Research Group Activities
  • Regular PIEL meetings exploring a range of themes including grant application success and promoting research collaboration
  • For more information about PIEL and how to get involved contact: Dr Alison Warren; alison.warren@plymouth.ac.uk
  •  The members of PIEL are interested in fostering links with a wide range of partners from within health and social care but also with charitable organisations and industry. 
International links
  • Dr Leonie Boland, Dublin, Ireland (Honorary Lecturer)
  •  Occupational Science Europe, Dr Tanja Krizaj (Committee Member)
  • University of Malta, Fiona Fraser (Visiting Scholar)
  • Dr Maria O’Reilly, Central Queensland University, Australia (Research Collaborator)
Research interests include:
  • Social Transformation
  • Working with Caregivers
  • Arts-based community projects
  • Dementia-friendly flying
  • Technology/Social Media Use
  • Primary care
  • Cultural Well-being
  • Trauma Informed Practice
  • Restorative Occupations
  • Outdoor activities for health and well-being
  • Older adults and successful aging
  • Food as a lifestyle motivator
Research group expertise
  • Qualitative Methodologies; interviews and focus groups
  • Qualitative Synthesis
  • Service users involvement in research
  • Realist research
  • Systematic Reviews/Scoping Reviews
  • Occupational Science

Videos

Research Group Members

  • Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
    PIEL Group Leader, Dementia-Friendly Flying & Technology
  • Associate Head of School (Marketing and Recruitment)
    Homelessness Social Transformation Public Health Food-Based Occupations
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy (Education)
    Clinical Leadership Employability
  • Lecturer in Global Health
    Global Health Sustainability Education
  • Professor of Leadership Nursing
    Knowledge Translation Clinical Decision-Making Workforce Issues Organ Donatio
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Occupational Science Older Adults Healthy Aging Care Homes
  • Children’s Participation and Mainstream Schools Handwriting Visual Perception
  • Lecturer in Public Health Dietetics
    Food as a Lifestyle Motivator Creative Approaches to Food Research
  • Deputy Head of School
    Occupational Science Health Promotion Outdoor Adventure
  • Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning)
    Chiropractice Attitudes to Evidence-Based Practice Qualitative Research
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Service
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Dementia, service user involvement in research
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Outcome measures in practice
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Amputee Rehabilitation
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Health Promotion
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy (Education)
    Restorative Occupations, Time Use
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Trauma Informed Practice
  • Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
    Primary Care

Doctoral Research

How is everyday occupational engagement of older people living in Extra Care housing informed by the use of technology? 

This research will investigate the use of technology in all its forms by older people living within Extra Care housing facilities to ascertain if technology can enhance occupational engagement, improve care provision and promote participation in community life. This research is being undertaken in three distinct phases:
1. A scoping review of literature to develop understanding around how technology facilitates occupational engagement for older people living in assisted living facilities (including extra care housing).  
2. An ethnographic study, exploring everyday life in Extra Care housing facilities through observations, conversations, interviews and focus groups with residents, their family and friends and staff.
3. A feasibility study of an occupation- focused, technology driven intervention that aims to promote positive health and well-being outcomes for older people in an Extra Care facility
<p>Rachael Malthouse stood near a lake<br></p>

Rachael Malthouse

 
<p>Ben Morris stood in front of a plain white wall.&nbsp;</p>

Ben Morris

Digital technologies and creative thinking: a study in enhancing the living environment of adults with learning disabilities who have dementia. 


“I am a PHD candidate currently looking into how digital technologies can be used to support clients living with a learning disability and dementia to engage in the activities which are meaningful and purposeful to them, through the modification of their environment.  An intended output of this research is a protocol which will help match clients to the technology that will allow them to engage with their goals.”
 
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<p>Participation In Everyday Life<br></p><p>Getty images</p><p>girl&nbsp;</p>
<p>Participation In Everyday Life<br></p><p>Getty</p>