Dr. Ann Beckingham Award

I am a doctoral student in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia (UBC) under the supervision of Dr. Alison Phinney. My clinical background is in Gerontological Nursing, with a special passion in dementia care. My research focuses on examining the experiences of patients and families, and how social and physical environments in hospitals and care facilities may influence their experiences.

My completed research includes: (a) the impacts of hospital environment in geriatric psychiatry, (b) older patients with cognitive impairment going home with oxygen, (c) special care unit designs, and (d) the dining experience of older people in residential care. Current research includes evaluation studies of a dementia care training program (Gentle Persuasive Approach) in multiple clinical areas of 2 hospitals in Vancouver and a recent environmental renovation to improve the dining experience of older people in residential care in Edmonton.

I recently published two papers – Exploring staff perceptions on the role of physical environment in dementia care setting in Dementia (2014) and “The role of physical environment in supporting person-centered dining in long-term care” in American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disorder and Other Dementia (2013).