Katie Zerger

I recently joined the ARC working on the Understanding Variation in Admissions from Care Homes (UVAC) study with Dr. Carl Marincowitz at the University of Sheffield. My PhD was funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research at the University of Birmingham. In October 2024, I passed my Viva with major corrections. In my study, I explored how people who attend social and support services for people living with dementia, their family and friends and their care workers understand and navigate risk and safety in everyday life. I also explored remote informed consent and qualitative data collection working with these groups. I took a triadic approach, working within existing care networks. I adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology, with photo-elicitation, semi-structured and group interviews. My findings offer insights for adult social care, including the navigation of risk and safety as a form of relational care. The study also provides recommendations for research practice in utilising the process consent method in a remote setting