PhD student Emily Weigold

Emily's project is looking at:

How people with dementia and their unpaid carers make choices and balance independence

My research will explore how a sense of autonomy and choice for each person within this caregiving relationship are balanced.

Tell us about your research

This project will look into the experiences of those living with dementia and any friends or family who provide care for them (those doing so unpaid, rather than paid carers).

Those who provide care for people living with dementia can often play a key role in supporting the individual, including assisting with coordinating their care. However, people providing care also have their own needs and make choices themselves which can shape, or be shaped by, the choices of the person they care for and their caring responsibilities.

How will this research impact people living with dementia?

I hope to highlight ways to best support both individuals to have autonomy and choice in their day-to-day lives, as well as in relation to the care being given or received. I’m excited to be working on research that can hopefully make a difference to people’s lives. 

What excites you most about your PhD journey?

I feel grateful for the opportunity to conduct this research, to have the time and space to explore, in depth, the experiences of people living with dementia and those who provide care for them. 

I lost one grandmother to dementia a few years ago and my other grandmother is living with dementia now. They were at different stages of life when they were diagnosed, so I saw the different journeys people can go on after a diagnosis.

For my maternal grandmother, I also saw the ways in which her relationship with her husband (my grandfather) changed as he adapted to caring for her, and how this new role as her carer became a big part of his identity. This sparked my interest in the relationships between people with dementia and loved ones who provide care for them. 

How does it feel to be part of the I-CARE Doctoral Training Centre? 

It is a real privilege to be funded by Alzheimer’s Society and to contribute to the amazing work they’re doing. 

Being part of the Doctoral Training Centre for Integrated Care in dementia also means that I get to work with other PhD students conducting dementia research, as well as Alzheimer’s Society experts by experience. I’m really looking forward to learning from all of them throughout my PhD.