Supporting wellbeing in older adults : a qualitative investigation of the experiences of older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic and a qualitative evidence synthesis on routine management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia

The thesis is comprised to two papers. Firstly the systematic review used thematic synthesis to develop themes pertaining to the routine management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. It focused on patterns of similarity and difference across two care contexts; care homes and hospital and how contextual factors may influence these patterns. The empirical paper sought to explore the impact of the Covid-19 on older adults living in Northern Ireland. Given the widespread impact of infection control measures, and the fact older adults were identified as a vulnerable group, the study was particularly interested in how this demographic coped with the changes to their lives. Participants took part in interviews and six themes pertaining to experience and coping were generated through thematic analysis.