Browsing by Person "Górska, Sylwia"

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Differences in assistive technology installed for people with dementia living at home who have wandering and safety risks
(BMC, 2021-10-30) Curnow, Eleanor; Rush, Robert; Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty
Background: Assistive Technology for people with dementia living at home is not meeting their care needs. Reasons for this may be due to limited understanding of variation in multiple characteristics of people with dementia including their safety and wandering risks, and how these affect their assistive technology requirements. This study therefore aimed to explore the possibility of grouping people with dementia according to data describing multiple person characteristics. Then to investigate the relationships between these groupings and installed Assistive Technology interventions. Methods: Partitioning Around Medoids cluster analysis was used to determine participant groupings based upon secondary data which described the person characteristics of 451 people with dementia with Assistive Technology needs. Relationships between installed Assistive Technology and participant groupings were then examined. Results: Two robust clustering solutions were identified within the person characteristics data. Relationships between the clustering solutions and installed Assistive Technology data indicate the utility of this method for exploring the impact of multiple characteristics on Assistive technology installations. Living situation and caregiver support influence installation of assistive technology more strongly than level of risk or cognitive impairment. People with dementia living alone received different AT from those living with others. Conclusions: Results suggest that caregiver support and the living situation of the person with dementia influence the type and frequency of installed Assistive Technology. Reasons for this include the needs of the caregiver themselves, the caregiver view of the participants’ needs, caregiver response to alerts, and the caregiver contribution to the assistive technology assessment and selection process. Selection processes should be refined to account for the needs and views of both caregivers and people with dementia. This will require additional assessor training, and the development of validated assessments for people with dementia who have additional impairments. Policies should support the development of services which provide a wider range of AT to facilitate interventions which are focused on the needs of the person with dementia.
Edinburgh Behaviour Support Service: Secondary Data Analysis
(Queen Margaret University, 2013) Constantinescu, Alexandra C.; Forsyth, Kirsty; Górska, Sylwia; Harrison, Michele; Irvine, Linda; Pentland, Jacqueline M.; Prior, Susan
Edinburgh Older People Mental Health Services: outcomes of the qualitative evaluation
(Queen Margaret University, 2015-01) Forsyth, Kirsty; Górska, Sylwia; Harrison, Michele; Irvine, Linda; Pentland, Jacqueline M.; Prior, Susan
Exploring the experience of Dementia from a participatory perspective. From experience to theory and back again: realist explanatory theory building method
(2018) Górska, Sylwia
Background: The way dementia is understood shapes public attitudes towards those living with the condition and professional approaches to treatment. This has implications for the experiences of those living with dementia. Theoretical models currently guiding care and informing public perceptions are limited and incomplete, reflecting professional rather than personal experience. They fail to capture the complexity of this experience, potential for adaptation and role of participation relative to health and wellbeing. Research presented in this thesis contributes towards bridging this gap through developing a conceptualisation grounded in the first-hand accounts, reflecting the complexity of living with dementia and exploring factors and processes impacting upon adaptation and participation. Methods: A modified realist explanatory theory building method was used. This included triangulation of subjective perspectives of people living with dementia with complexity- consistent theories, identification of factors contributing to the overall experience, as well as causal mechanisms and processes involved. The first phase used qualitative meta- synthesis of 34 studies on first-hand experience and informed the development of a tentative model of dementia experience. During the next phase, this initial model was examined against concepts and ideas from 11 complexity-consistent theoretical frameworks. In the final phase, a model was scrutinised against narrative data of 12 people living with dementia and 19 family members. Results: The experience of living with dementia is conceptualised as “adaptation through participation”, emerging from ongoing, dynamic and non-linear interactions between multiple contributory factors and causal mechanisms, both personal and environmental. The model identifies and explains causal dynamics and adaptive processes shaping outcomes in dementia. Possible trajectories of these outcomes are explored, with the model indicating that these should be considered in terms of a spectrum rather than distinct stages of dementia progression. “A tree and a forest” metaphor is used to depict the proposed model and further explain findings. Diverse understandings of the model’s key conceptual domains are captured and explored relative to implications for the “adaptation through participation” process in dementia. Finally, findings are discussed in the context of the relevant theory and research evidence. Conclusions: By emphasising and explaining the potential for adaptation and enduring participation in dementia, the conceptualisation proposed in this thesis can contribute towards a shift in current policy and practice from the management of deficits to proactive support for continuity of participation throughout the dementia spectrum. However, before this is realised, additional work aiming at validation of the proposed model, further clarification of conceptual domains and causal relationships between them, and exploration of the role of multiple accounts of dementia experience, representing perspectives of people living with dementia and the important others; is required to establish the practical utility of the proposed model.
Exploring the needs of people with dementia living at home reported by people with dementia and informal caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis
(Taylor & Francis, 2019-12-03) Curnow, Eleanor; Rush, Robert; Maciver, Donald; Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty
Objectives: To provide prevalence estimates of needs of people with dementia living at home, and to determine sources of variation associated with needs for this population.
Family Group Conferencing for People with Dementia. Evaluation of the Midlothian Pilot 2012/2013
(Queen Margaret University, 2013) Forsyth, Kirsty; Górska, Sylwia; Harrison, Michele; Haughey, Peter; Irvine, Linda; Prior, Susan
Family group conferencing in dementia care: an exploration of opportunities and challenges
(Cambridge University Press, 2015-10-02) Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty; Prior, Susan; Irvine, Linda; Haughey, Peter
Background:: The Family Group Conference (FGC) is an approach to partnership working which brings together service users, their support network and care professionals in a family-led decision making forum. Evidence, though limited, indicates that that FGC can enhance outcomes for service providers and their users. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the pilot FGC service, delivered to people with dementia and their families, in terms of the experience of care provision by families and care professionals involved in the project. Methods:: Focus group interviews were conducted with families and professionals participating in the pilot intervention. Results:: FGC was perceived as having the potential to positively impact service users, their families, service providers and the wider culture of care. However, despite an overall positive evaluation the participants identified a number of challenges related to service implementation. Both the opportunities and challenges identified in this study are discussed in the context of the existing international evidence base. Conclusions:: This study contributes to a better understanding of the applicability of FGC as a strategy to support people with dementia and their families. Although promising in terms of potential outcomes for service users and providers, FGC presents challenges which need to be carefully managed in order to secure maximum benefit to all parties. Copyright International Psychogeriatric Association 2015
The general self-efficacy of older adults receiving care: A systematic review and meta-analysis
(Oxford University Press, 2020-05-06) Whitehall, Lucy; Rush, Robert; Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty
Background and Objectives: General self-efficacy (GSE) encourages health-promoting behaviors in older adults. It is unsurprising then, that older adults receiving healthcare services are reported to have a greater risk of low GSE than older adults who are not. Despite this, there is currently limited evidence investigating whether the effect differs based on the environment in which care is received. This review aims to determine whether the GSE of older adults is affected by the receipt of healthcare services, and whether GSE varies based on the setting in which care is received.
Living With Dementia: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research on the Lived Experience
(Oxford, 2017-01-09) Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty; Maciver, Donald; QMU
Purpose of the Study: To identify and examine the published qualitative research evidence relative to the experience of living with dementia. Design and Methods: Metasynthesis was used as the methodological framework to guide data collection and analysis. Results: Three themes were identified. The first theme considered the main condition-related changes experienced by people with dementia (PWD) and showed how these are interlinked and impact upon various areas of people's lives. The second theme indicated that amidst these changes, PWD strive to maintain continuity in their lives by employing various resources and coping strategies. The third theme underlined the role of contextual factors. The reviewed evidence indicates that, the emerging experience of PWD and their potential to adjust to the continuous changes is influenced by access to and quality of both personal and contextual resources which remain in a constant, transactional relationship to each other. Implications: The findings were interpreted and discussed in the context of relevant theoretical frameworks and research evidence. It was considered that current evidence and findings presented in this review can be further explored and expanded upon in a more systematic way through research conducted within the theoretical framework of dynamic systems theory. Further research would be also beneficial to explore the subjective experience of dementia from a participatory perspective. Exploring the application of these theoretical standpoints would contribute to the current state of knowledge and offer both PWD and carers fresh perspective on the nature of change and potential for adaptability in dementia.
Outpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Lothian Wait Times. Retrospective notes analysis
(Queen Margaret University, 2015) Constantinescu, Alexandra C.; Forsyth, Kirsty; Gibson, Amanda; Górska, Sylwia; Harrison, Michele; Irvine, Linda; Murray, Richard; Pentland, Jacqueline M.; Prior, Susan
Participation as means for adaptation in dementia: A conceptual model
(Taylor & Francis, 2019-12-02) Górska, Sylwia; Maciver, Donald; Forsyth, Kirsty
Objectives: There are a number of conceptual models of dementia, capturing a range of biopsychosocial factors. Few integrate the lived experience of dementia. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptualisation grounded in the first-hand accounts of living with the condition and reflecting its complexity.
Perspectives of Those with Lived Experience of Dementia and their Care Givers within the Cultural Context of Midlothian. A Narrative Study.
(Queen Margaret University, 2012) Fairnie, Jane; Flockhart, Janice; Forsyth, Kirsty; Górska, Sylwia; Irvine, Linda; Maciver, Donald; Prior, Susan; Reid, Jenny; Whtehead, Jacqueline
Psychometric evaluation of the Making it CLEAR questionnaire, a resilience measure for older adults
(Oxford University Press, 2021-09-28) Whitehall, Lucy; Górska, Sylwia; Rush, Robert; Singh Roy, Anusua; Irvine-Fitzpatrick, Linda; Forsyth, Kirsty
Background and Objectives: Previous efforts to develop a resilience measure for older adults have largely failed to consider the environmental influences on their resilience, and have primarily concentrated on the resilience of community dwelling older adults. Our objective was to validate a new multidimensional measure of resilience, the Making it CLEAR (MiC) questionnaire, for use with older adults at the point of discharge from hospital.
Reset: Designing Community-Based, Resilience-Affirming Support for Older Adults Through Participatory Action Research - An Environmental Perspective
(Emerald, 2025) Górska, Sylwia; Desogus, S.; Moffat, P.; Gunn, L.; Irvine Fitzpatrick, L.
Purpose: This paper presents key learning from the Reset programme, an innovative, intersectoral collaboration designed to transform community-based health and social care (HSC) for older adults. The programme aimed to deepen understanding of and enhance post-hospitalisation resilience, improve access to existing resources, and strengthen community connections. Methodology: The programme employed a Participatory Action Research methodology to co-produce and implement resilience-focused, evidence-based HSC across four localities in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Data was collected through interviews and focus groups with older adults, referring agencies, community partners, informal carers, and the HSC support team. Narrative data was also gathered by HSC support staff through one-to-one key work, while ongoing reflective practice informed continuous learning and adaptation. Findings: The research confirmed a dynamic, reciprocal relationship between older adults and their environment in shaping resilience outcomes. It expanded understanding of how physical, digital, and social environments can enable or hinder resilience, highlighting the impact of systemic cultural factors within HSC, and broader societal structures. Originality/value: This study offers original insights into participatory, intersectoral approaches to supporting ageing in place. It deepens understanding of environmental determinants of resilience in later life and provides evidence-based recommendations for policy, practice, and research. The co-produced, community-centred approach highlights the value of relational support in improving outcomes for older adults.
Reset: Resilience, Relationships, Resources. Planning and delivering resilience-affirming community support for older people
(Reset Partnership, 2024) Górska, Sylwia; Irvine Fitzpatrick, L.; Moffat, P.; Leśniewska, S.; Dalton, A.; Desogus, S.; Macdonald, H.; Gunn, L.; Ashworth, L.; Hall, B.; Horton, L.; Simpson, R.; Brown, N.
Resetting the Standard: A Collaborative Approach to Community Resilience for Older People. [Case Study]
(2025-07-15) Moffat, P; Górska, Sylwia; Desogus, S; Gunn, L; Irvine Fitzpatrick, L
Service related needs of older people with dementia: perspectives of service users and their unpaid carers.
(Cambridge University Press, 2013-03) Górska, Sylwia; Forsyth, Kirsty; Irvine, Linda; Maciver, Donald; Prior, Susan; Whitehead, Jacqueline; Flockhart, Janice; Fairnie, Jane; Reid, Jenny
Background: Dementia is a major cause of disability among older people and constitutes one of the greatest challenges currently facing families, and health and social care services in the developed world. In response to trends in dementia prevalence and the impact the condition has on peoples' lives, dementia care has been placed high on the public and political agenda in the UK. However, despite significant public resources being allocated to combat the impact of the disease, recent evidence indicates that numerous challenges in relation to service provision remain. This study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the lived experience of people with dementia regarding their service related needs. Method: The study made use of data gathered through individual semi-structured, narrative interviews conducted with persons with experience of dementia and their unpaid carers. Results: Although participants were generally satisfied with the services they received, a number of unmet needs related to service provision were identified. In terms of diagnostic procedures the findings of this study indicate the need for early diagnosis delivered through a comprehensive assessment package. The participants also highlighted the need for well co-ordinated post-diagnostic support, greater continuity of care concerning the personnel involved, and enhanced access to non-pharmacological interventions to support identity and social engagement. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of service related needs of people with dementia in relation to diagnostic procedures and post-diagnostic support.
A systematic review and correlational meta-analysis of factors associated with resilience of normally aging, community-living older adults
(Oxford University Press, 2021-09-22) Górska, Sylwia; Singh Roy, Anusua; Whitehall, Lucy; Irvine-Fitzpatrick, Linda; Duffy, Nichola; Forsyth, Kirsty
Background and objectives: Global policy emphasizes the need to promote healthy aging through supporting inclusivity, safety, and functional independence. Research indicates that efforts to enhance resilience can contribute to meeting these objectives. We employed meta-analytical approach to examine evidence on resilience in community-living older adults.