Understanding staff experiences of involving and supporting family carers on dementia mental health wards
Parallel 6
18 November, 2026 3:30 – 4:40 pmFrom Crisis to Connection: Evolving Dementia in Care Mental Health Settings
Dr Juliet Gillam is a Research Associate at the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory. She is working on the Family Interventions in Dementia Mental Health Environments (FIND ME) study alongside Professor Emma Wolverson and Dr Rosie Dunn. The study aims to understand carer experiences and involvement when people living with dementia are admitted to a mental health ward. It will explore ward staff responses to carers and work to ensure carers are appropriately supported and involved in the care of the person with dementia, to improve patient outcomes.
Prior to joining the Gellar Institute, Juliet completed her PhD at King’s College London. Her research focused on the implementation of an eHealth intervention delivered via an app in residential care homes. The intervention aimed to improve the comprehensive assessment of residents with dementia and facilitate shared decision-making between the individual, their carers and health and social care professionals.
Juliet’s other research posts have included working on a study which aimed to reduce agitation for individuals with dementia at University College London, and on a study which piloted digitalised tests of cognitive control at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. The study aimed to investigate how patients with different neurological conditions responded in situations where we do not respond routinely to the environment.
Dr Rosie Dunn is a Research Associate within the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory. She is currently working on an NIHR-funded programme called Family Interventions In Dementia Mental Health Environments (FIND ME). The study aims to develop a better understanding of how mental health wards work with and support family carers during a person with dementia’s admission. Rosie also offers ad/hoc teaching on the MSc in Dementia Studies.
Rosie’s career began in the NHS in 2012, where she worked for many years in older adult clinical psychology services, including the Memory Clinic, inpatient units, community older adult mental health teams and care homes. In 2016, Rosie joined the University of Hull and worked as a Research Assistant on a number of high-profile research programmes in dementia, stroke, health and social care. Rosie was awarded a PhD scholarship and completed her PhD in 2025. Her research involved the use of interpretive phenomenological analysis alongside photo-elicitation techniques to explore the experiences of couples living with dementia and multiple health conditions.
Rosie is also experienced in teaching and previously taught on the MSc in Dementia degree at Hull. She is experienced in providing postgraduate dissertation supervision, restorative supervision and lectures in dementia to nursing and other allied health degree programmes.
Dr Rosie Dunn
Research Associate
University of West London
Dr Rosie Dunn is a Research Associate within the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory. She is currently working on an NIHR-funded programme called Family Interventions In Dementia Mental Health Environments (FIND ME). The study aims to develop a better understanding of how mental health wards work with and support family carers during a person with dementia’s admission. Rosie also offers ad/hoc teaching on the MSc in Dementia Studies.
Rosie’s career began in the NHS in 2012, where she worked for many years in older adult clinical psychology services, including the Memory Clinic, inpatient units, community older adult mental health teams and care homes. In 2016, Rosie joined the University of Hull and worked as a Research Assistant on a number of high-profile research programmes in dementia, stroke, health and social care. Rosie was awarded a PhD scholarship and completed her PhD in 2025. Her research involved the use of interpretive phenomenological analysis alongside photo-elicitation techniques to explore the experiences of couples living with dementia and multiple health conditions.
Rosie is also experienced in teaching and previously taught on the MSc in Dementia degree at Hull. She is experienced in providing postgraduate dissertation supervision, restorative supervision and lectures in dementia to nursing and other allied health degree programmes.
Summary
Family carers play a vital role in supporting people living with dementia during admissions to dementia mental health wards, yet their involvement is often inconsistent and poorly supported. This study explored how staff understand, negotiate and implement family involvement and support in practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 staff members from a range of professional backgrounds across three dementia mental health wards in England. Thematic analysis identified four interconnected themes: family engagement was variable, with involvement expected but support less consistent; staff intentions to involve families were constrained by organisational and structural pressures; staff assumptions about families further shaped engagement, with involvement requiring ongoing negotiation around expertise, risk and decision-making; and finally, despite constraints, staff described examples of collaborative and person-centred practice enabled by flexibility and supportive leadership. Findings highlight the need for greater organisational support, clearer expectations around family-inclusive practice, and investment in staff training and carer-focused resources.