ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Teaching Interests

Nicola is an active member of the teaching team and delivers diverse training on a number of commissioned courses and university programmes. She is currently the Module Lead on the following modules:

• MDEM4001: Person-Centred Leadership: the VIPS Approach
• MDEM4003: Expert Practice in Delivering Person-Centred Care

Knowledge Transfer:

Nicola has developed and delivered training for a wide range of different care providers, including care homes, hospitals, domiciliary and extra care settings. She has been involved in creating handbooks for multiple courses as well as developing guidance, an online community of practice and film about Namaste Care to enhance understanding and share experience from the research findings.

Research Interests

As a Practice Development Coach, Nicola has taken a key role in developing materials and teaching on various research projects, including Namaste Care and Meeting Centres. Nicola developed teaching programmes for the FITS into Practice study which now forms an advanced practice post-graduate module at ADS.

Completed projects:

Nicola has worked on the following research projects in a Practice Coach capacity:

Nicola has worked on the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Meeting Centres Support Project (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵMCSP) as a Dementia Practice Development Coach, developing and delivering training in-person and online.

Namaste Care Intervention ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ: Delivering Excellent Care Every Day for People Living with Advanced Dementia. Alzheimer's Society Implementation Research grant. 2016-19 Namaste Care ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Implementation Research

MEETINGDEM: Adaptive Implementation and Validation of the positively evaluated Meeting Centres Support Programme for people with dementia and their carers in Europe. EU JPND (ESRC) 2014-2017 MEETINGDEM Meeting Centres ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Implementation and field testing of Focused Intervention for Training of Staff (FITS) programme in over 100 early adopter care homes.

Professional bodies and experience

Nicola has worked for over 20 years in health and social care settings, including management, particularly working with people living with dementia. She is an experienced Dance Movement Psychotherapist specialising in working with people affected by dementia. She is registered with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and in 2014, founded the company Dance & Dementia C.I.C.

Professional Memberships

• Registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ)

Publications and Dissemination

Journal articles

Atkinson, T., Russell, C., Bruce, M., Jacobson-Wright, N. & Bray, J. (2023) Developing a distance learning Post Graduate qualification for professionals in dementia care – our journey. Journal of Dementia Care, 31(3) 33-35

Russell, C., Oatley, R., Bray, J., Jacobson-Wright, N., Stephens, N., Howard, T. (2023) Championing physical activity for people affected by dementia. Journal of Dementia Care, 31(2), 19-20

Latham, I., Brooker, D., Bray, J., Jacobson-Wright, N. and Frost, F. (2020). The Impact of Implementing a Namaste Care Intervention in ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Care Homes for People Living with Advanced Dementia, Staff and Families. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(16), 6004

Brooker, D., Latham, I., Evans, S., Jacobson, N, Perry, W., Bray, J. Ballard, C., Fossey, J. & Pickett, J (2015) FITS into Practice: Translating research into practice in reducing the use of anti-psychotic medication for people living with dementia in care homes. Aging and Mental Health. Available online: DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2015.1063102

Brooker, D., Latham, I., Jacobson, N., Perry, W. & Evans, S. (2014) “FITS into Practice” Developing Dementia Specialist Care Homes Summary Report. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester

Coaten, R. & Jacobson, N. (July 2011) Dance Movement Psychotherapy as a ‘Golden Thread of Remembrance’ and a Key to Communication. Signpost Journal.

Book Chapters

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2020). The use of Music to Inspire Dance and Movement. In: Richards, C. (2020). Living Well with Dementia Through Music, Jessica Kingsley, London

Conference and event presentations

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2024) Developing online learning for Namaste Care. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Coventry

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2023) Understanding dementia. Phonak Hearing Health and Cognition Conference, Munich, Germany & online

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2023) Namaste Care: A multi-sensory approach for people with advanced dementia. 21st Annual Worcestershire Palliative Care Conference. It's my life - neuropalliative care, Worcester

Bruce, M., Atkinson, T., Jacobson-Wright, N. & Russell, C. (2022) The educational offering of the Association for Dementia Studies. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Birmingham

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2022) Dance as a way to re-connect post-pandemic: a chance to move, explore and discuss. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Birmingham

Russell, C., Oatley, R., Jacobson-Wright, N., Bray, J. & Stephens, N. (2022) Poster - Championing Physical Activity for people affected by dementia! A research and education project, leading to the development and delivery of a pioneering online course aiming to support practitioners offer physical activity to people affected by dementia. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Birmingham

Jacobson-Wright, N. (2019), Training and Support for Namaste Care Intervention ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ. Namaste Care Celebration Event, Worcester

Jacobson-Wright, N. & Bruce, M. (2019), Movement for well-being workshop. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Doncaster

Jacobson-Wright, N. & Wray, F. (2018), Namaste Care. 13th ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Brighton

Brooker, D. Jacobson, N., Perry, W., Latham, I., Evans, S. (November, 2014) FITS into Practice: The role of the Dementia Practice Development Coach and the Dementia Care Coach, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Brighton, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Brooker, D. Jacobson, N., Perry, W., Latham, I., Evans, S. (October, 2014) FITS into Practice: The role of the Dementia Practice Development Coach and the Dementia Care Coach, Alzheimer Europe Conference, Glasgow, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Jacobson, N., Latham, I. (July 2014) Person-Centred Care as an Alternative to Antipsychotics. Alzheimer’s Society Research Conference, Nottingham.

Jacobson, N., Latham, I. (May 2014) Implementing FITS into Practice. The Alzheimer’s Show, Olympia.

Jacobson, N., Knights, C., Smith, S. (Nov 2013) Dance and Movement Therapy in a Specialist Hospital Setting. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Brighton, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Jacobson, N. (Nov 2013) Dance and Movement with People Affected by Dementia. Swindon Dementia Conference (Swindon NHS CCG and Borough Council), Swindon, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

Jacobson, N. (Nov 2012) Creating a Sense of Community through Circle Dance. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Dementia Congress, Brighton, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

External Responsibilities

Founding Director of Dance & Dementia C.I.C.

www.danceanddementia.co.uk