Kirsten has a background in psychology and sociology and before moving to the UK worked for 14 years at the National Ageing Research Institute in Australia. Here she was engaged in a broad range of research programs to improve the quality of care for older people and people with dementia. She has undertaken numerous studies implementing practice change in care homes and focusing on dementia care, restraint reduction, falls prevention and improving care environments. Her PhD examined family carers’ experience of a home based program for people with advanced dementia.
Kirsten joined the department early in 2014 to work on The CoMPASs:IOn Programme (Care Of Memory Problems in Advanced Stages: Improving Our kNowledge), a 3 year programme grant funded by Marie Curie to develop a new intervention to improve end of life care for people with dementia. Kirsten was engaged as the Advanced Dementia Interdisciplinary Care Leader to implement an intervention to improve end of life dementia care for residents in two care homes.
She has since been successful in obtaining a senior fellowship from the Alzheimer's Society. Her 3 year study is examining the relationship between carer grief severity and preparation for end of life. Findings will be used to develop a test a practical resource for family carers.
Kirsten has been involved in a broad range of research methods and is currently co-director of the UCL Qualitative Health Research Network. She is a member of the International Psychogeriatric Association and triage editor of the journal International Psychogeriatrics. She is also a member of the British Society of Gerontology.
