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The Hair and Care project is a part of the Dementia and Ageing Research Theme at the University of Manchester. It is funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)
We are two researchers who have an interest in the everyday lives of people with dementia with a particular interest in so called ‘body work’. Integral to body work in dementia care is the support given to service users concerning their appearance, presentation and grooming.
Our research is about the link between dignity and appearance and the presentation of people with dementia in care settings. We plan to gather the experiences of people with dementia and the viewpoint of their relatives about these issues. We are also concerned with the perspectives of, and challenges faced by care-based hairdressers, nursing staff and care workers who are carrying out this work which is an under-researched aspect of dementia care.
Our website and blog is to enable us to link our project to wider discussions and debates and to build networks between other interested people.
I will follow this with interest as it looks excellent. I’m sure there is a big link between happiness, and confidence and these things – though when I visit the dementia care home I visit I wonder how much priority this is give – especially in clothes!
I think this is an incredibly timely project. I am increasingly convinced that beauty treatments which include hairdressing , manicure, pedicure and massage have a truly beneficial effect on pepole with dementia. It is a positive and relaxing experience, particularly for patients in acute care settings where so much else is difficult for patients to comprehend