Paulina Szymczynska

Publications (2)1.96 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: Cameron Stark

  Article: Dementia knowledge transfer project in a rural area.

  Cameron Stark, Anthea Innes, Paulina Szymczynska, Lynda Forrest, Ken Proctor
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  ABSTRACT: Rural Scotland has an ageing population. There has been an increase in the number of people with dementia and as the proportion of people aged over 75 years continues to rise, this will increase still further. The Scottish Government has produced a dementia strategy and implementing this will be a challenge for rural Scotland. Transferring academic knowledge into practice is challenging. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership was formed between NHS Highland and the University of Stirling. A literature review was undertaken of the rural dementia literature; local services were surveyed and described; and interviews were undertaken with people with dementia and carers. Work was conducted on training, diagnostic service provision and local policy. Throughout the project, a collaborative approach was used, which aimed at the joint production of knowledge. Involving University staff in local service development had a substantial impact. Reviewing existing research knowledge and setting it in the context of local services, and of experience of service use, allowed the relevant priorities to be identified. As well as identifying training needs and providing training, the work influenced local decisions on diagnostic service design and standards, and on policy. This embedded engagement model appeared to produce more rapid change than traditional models of use of academic knowledge.
  Rural and remote health 01/2012; 13(1):2060. · 0.98 Impact Factor
• Article: Evaluation of a dementia training workshop for health and social care staff in rural Scotland.

  Paulina Szymczynska, Anthea Innes
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  ABSTRACT: This short project report presents an evaluation of a training workshop for health and social-care staff working in one of the most rural areas in Scotland. The objective was to explore the learning needs and outcomes of training participants delivering services to people with dementia in a rural area. The training workshop encouraged health and social-care staff to discuss key challenges they experienced in their dementia care practice, as well as providing information on dementia care, services and rural dementia research. In a post-training evaluation, despite barriers to implementing learning, participants rated their satisfaction with the workshop as high overall. Further training needs identified included: how to recognise dementia, what the diagnostic process entails, and the management of challenging behaviour. Health and social-care staff in rural areas of Scotland require further training on specific issues related to dementia to enable them to be confident in in the diagnostic process and delivery of post-diagnostic dementia services.
  Rural and remote health 11(2):1611. · 0.98 Impact Factor