Dr Laura Cole has long hair and is wearing a black suit and blue top.

Dr Laura Cole

Course Leader for MSc Dementia Studies: Contemporary Approaches to Practice
Senior Lecturer in Dementia Studies
School of Medicine and Biosciences
laura.cole@uwl.ac.uk

Dr Laura Cole is a Senior Lecturer and Course Lead for the MSc in Dementia Studies: Contemporary Approaches to Practice. She is also Co-Lead for the DEfIN-YD Project (engaging people living with young onset dementia in research).

She has a background in psychology and has worked with older people living with cognitive problems and dementia for over twenty years in various clinical, care and research settings.

Laura was co-applicant for an Alzheimer’s Society-funded study exploring the views and experiences of people living with dementia and their family carers on residential respite services. Her previous dementia care research investigated the timing of a move to a care home, continence management (or problems using the toilet) for people living at home and the effectiveness of reminiscence art groups for people living in care homes.

Laura is President Elect and Honorary Treasurer of the Geriatric and Gerontology section at the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of the editorial board for Dementia: Journal of International Social Research and Practice. She is also a member of HEDN (Higher Education for Dementia Network) and INTERDEM (a pan-European network of dementia care researchers).

  • Qualifications

    • BSc (Hons) Psychology
    • MSc Health Psychology
    • PhD Health and Social Care Sciences (Dementia)

  • Memberships

    Editorial Board Member of Dementia (International Journal of Social Research and Practice)
    Member of the Higher Education for Dementia Network (HEDN): Member
    Board Member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Geriatrics & Gerontology Section
    Member of the British Society of Gerontology
    Member of INTERDEM (pan-European network of dementia care researchers)
    Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Research

  • Research and publications

    Publications

    Samsi, K., Orellana, K., Cole, L. & Manthorpe, J. (2023). Understanding factors influencing residential respite service use by carers of people living with dementia using Andersen’s behavioural model of health services use: A qualitative study. Aging and Mental Health, 27(10), 1946-1955. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2023.2196254

    Cole, L., Drennan, V. M., Manthorpe, J., Hatzidimitriadou, E. & Iliffe, S. (2022). Experiences of intimate continence care and the impact on the family dyad relationship for people living at home with dementia and their co-resident family members. Dementia, 21(5), 1556-1573. https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012221076667

    Samsi, K, Cole, L., Orellana, K. & Manthorpe, (2022). Is it worth it? Carers’ views and expectations of residential respite for people living with dementia during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 37(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5680

    Cole, L., Samsi, K. & Manthorpe, J. (2022). Factors affecting dementia care practitioners’ decision-making about moving to a care home for persons living with dementia: a factorial survey. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(5), e1651-e1661. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13591

    Samsi, K, Cole, L. & Manthorpe, J. (2022). “The time has come”: reflections on the ‘tipping point’ in deciding on a care home move. Aging & Mental Health, 26(9), 1855-1861. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1947963

    Cole, L., Samsi, K. and Manthorpe, J. (2021). Professionals’ views on the ‘optimal time’ for people living with dementia to move to a care home. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 36(1), 136-142.

    Samsi, K., Cole, L. and Manthorpe, J. (2020). Regulating Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs): a rapid review. London: King’s College London.

    Cole, L., Samsi, K., & Manthorpe, J. (2020). Moving into a care home - how is the decision made? The Journal of Dementia Care, 28(2), 20-21.

    Keating, F., Cole, L., and Grant, R. (2020). An evaluation of group reminiscence arts sessions for people with dementia living in care homes. Dementia, 19(3), 533-546.

    Samsi, K., Cole, L. & Manthorpe, J. (2019). Investigating ‘optimal time’: Perspectives on the timing of people living with dementia moving into a care homes: Research Findings. London: NIHR School for Social Care Research.

    Cole, L. & Drennan, V. (2019). Living with incontinence: the experience of people with dementia. Dementia, 18(5), 1826-1839.

    Samsi, K., Cole, L. & Manthorpe, J. (2019). Multiple perspectives on what (if any) is an optional time for people with dementia to move to a care home. Innovation in Aging, 3 (Suppl 1), S1119.

    Cole, L., Samsi, K. and Manthorpe, J. (2018). Is there an ‘optimal time’ to move to a care home for a person with dementia? A systematic review of the literature. International Psychogeriatrics, 30(1).1649-1670.

    Thandi, G., Harden, L., Cole, L., Greenberg, N., Fear, N. (2018). A systematic review of the burden upon spouses and partners providing unpaid care to wounded, injured, or sick (WIS) military personnel. Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 164(5), 365-369.

    Iliffe, S., Wright, P., Law, R., Rogerson, A., Cole, L., Manthorpe, J., and Khan, M. (2017). Enabling research in care homes. (Letter to the Editor). Age and Ageing, 46(6), 1017.

    Hafford-Letchfield, T., Pezzella, A., Cole, L., & Manning, R. (2017). Transgender students in post-compulsory education: A systematic review. International Journal of Educational Research, 86, 1-12.

    Cole, L., Kritika, S. & Manthorpe, J. (2017). Is there an ‘optimal time’ for a person with dementia to move to a care home? Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 13(7), P1172-P1173.

    Adhikari, R. P., Upadhaya, N., Paudel, S., Pokhrel, R., Bhandari, N., Cole, L., & Koirala, S. (2017). Psychosocial and mental health problems of older people in postearthquake Nepal. Journal of Aging and Health, 30(6), 945-964.

    Cole, L., Keating, F & Grant, R. (2016). Reminiscence Arts and Dementia Care: Impact on quality of life, 2012-2015. Quantitative evaluation final report. London: Royal Holloway, University of London.

    Cole, L. (2015). Exploring experiences of intimate toileting care and the impact on the family dyad relationship for people with dementia and their cohabiting family carer. PhD Thesis: St George’s, University of London.

    Lloyd, J., Nicholson, H., Keating, F., & Cole, L. (2015). Reminiscence Arts and Dementia Care: Impact on Quality of Life, 2012-2015: A Final Report of the Evaluation, December 2015. 

    Drennan, V.M., Greenwood, N, & Cole, L. (2014). Continence care for people with dementia at home. Nursing Times, 110(9), 19.

    Drennan, V.M., Rait, G., Cole, L., Grant, R. & Iliffe, S. (2013). The prevalence of incontinence in people with cognitive impairment or dementia living at home: a systematic review. Neurourology & Urodynamics, 32(4), 314-324.

    Drennan, V.M., Norrie, C., Cole, L. & Donovan, S. (2013). Addressing incontinence for people with dementia living at home: a documentary analysis of local English community nursing service continence policies and clinical guidance. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22(3-4), 339-346.

    Drennan, V., Cole, L., Donovan, R. & Grant, R. (2013). EVIDEM-Continence: promoting continence and managing incontinence with people with dementia living at home. Gerontologist, 53, 447-447.

    Drennan, V.M., Greenwood, N., Cole, L., Fader, M., Grant, R., Rait, G. & Iliffe, S. (2012). Conservative interventions for incontinence in people with dementia and cognitive impairment, living at home: a systematic review. BMC Geriatrics, 12:77.

    Lawlor, C., Johnson, S., Cole, L. & Howard, L. (2012). Ethnic variations in pathways to acute care and compulsory detention for women experiencing a mental health crisis. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 58(1), 3-15.

    Drennan, V.M., Cole, L. & Iliffe, S. (2011). A taboo within a stigma? A qualitative study of managing continence with people with dementia living at home. BMC Geriatrics, 11(75).

    Cole, L. (2011). Book Review of: 'When a family member has dementia: steps to becoming a resilient caregiver', by Susan M. McCurry. Dementia, 10(2), 272.

    · Manthorpe, J., Iliffe, S., Samsi, K., Cole, L., Goodman, C., Drennan, V. and Warner, J. (2010). Dementia, dignity and quality of life: nursing practice and its dilemmas. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 5(3), 235-244.

    Howard, L., Flach, C., Leese, M., Byford, S., Killaspy, H., Cole, L., Lawlor, C., Betts, J., Sharac, J. Cutting, P., McNicholas, S. & Johnson, S. (2010). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of admissions to women’s crisis houses compared with traditional psychiatric wards: pilot patient-preference randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry. 197, s32-s40

    Drennan, V. & Cole, L. (2010). Exploring issues and solutions in promoting continence with people with dementia living at home: G12-258 Journal of Clinical Nursing 19

    Drennan, V. & Cole, L. (2009). Dealing with incontinence. Living with Dementia, December/January (2009/2010), 14-15.

    Drennan, V. & Cole, L. (2009). Promoting Continence and Managing Incontinence with People with Dementia Living at Home: One More Challenge for Integration. Journal of Integrated Care, 17(1), 15-25.

    Howard, L., Leese, M., Byford, S., Killaspy, H., Cole, L., Lawlor, C. & Johnson, S. (2009). Methodological challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of women’s crisis houses compared with psychiatric wards; findings from a pilot patient preference RCT. The Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 197(10), 722-777.

    · Howard, L., Rigon, E., Cole, L., Lawlor, C. & Johnson, S. (2008). Admission to women’s crisis houses or to psychiatric wards: women’s pathways to admission. Psychiatric Services, 59(12), 1443-1449.

  • Research degree supervision

    Present:

    Toby Williamson. Rights and Wrongs: values, facts, laws, decisions and people with dementia in social care

    Past (supervised to completion)

    Gursimran Thandi (2018). The experiences of spouses and wounded partners caregiving for wounded injured or sick (WIS) UK military personnel. King’s College London.

Courses taught on