Sheffcare Dementia and Wellbeing Manager to speak at national conference

The conference, which has the theme New Directions in Ageing and the Life Course, will be held at the Newcastle University on July 5 and will attract around 400 delegates from around the world, made up of academics and others interested in a wide range of issues related to ageing.

Sheffcare Dementia and Wellbeing Manager Kathryn Rawling will detail the work between SheffCare and The University of Sheffield Music Department over the past year.

In that time, the partners have worked on two projects - the Acousmatic Storytelling project and the Listening Post music device - which use music in relation to living with dementia.

“Increasing collaboration between universities and external partners such as SheffCare is highly valued and having Kathryn co-present about the project and the partnership will give a balanced view to the conference attendees,” said Sheffcare Chief Executive Clare Rintoul.

“This will contextualise the innovative aims in the underlying academic research about involving residents with active musical engagement by fully conveying how Kathryn and her colleagues have been translating and implementing this to work in the residential care environment.

“Having Kathryn co-presenting will fully recognise Sheffcare as an active partner and a leader in this very important area of research.”

Sheffcare is a charity that operates a chain of nine care homes across Sheffield.