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GOLTC

GLOBAL
OBSERVATORY
OF LONG-TERM
CARE

Part of the International Long-Term Care Policy Network (ILPN)

 

Karen Watson

University of Sydney

Karen Watson

Dr Karen Watson (RN, PhD, BN (Hons), BHlthSc (Naturop)) is a Senior Lecturer in Healthy Ageing and Care of the Older Person with the Susan Wakil School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney.

Dr Watson is an experienced aged care academic, focusing on healthy ageing and the care needs of older people in a variety of health settings. Dr Watson’s research aims to improve care outcomes for older people, including those with cognitive decline, when interacting with healthcare providers. Her work specifically seeks to improve aged care workforce training, resource availability and inclusive care, by developing evidence and working with key stakeholders to co-design practical and measurable interventions that foster quality and safety in care for older people.

Dr Watson is a registered nurse and previously a practising naturopath. Her blend of knowledge and experiences across these two health disciplines provides a unique skillset as a teaching and research academic.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Countries Australia;
Topics Access to care; Ageing in place; Attitudes and Expectations about Long-Term Care; Autonomy; Care Homes; Care inequalities; Dementia care and support; Financing LTC; LTC Policy; LTC Workforce; Minorities and LTC; New models of care; Pensions; Person-centered care; Primary Health Care; Quality of care; Residential LTC services; Social Prescribing; Technology and LTC; Unpaid / informal care; Workforce pay and conditions;
Methods Case studies; Co-production methods; Delphi surveys; Dyadic analysis; Expert consultations; Focus groups; Interviews; Mixed methods; Narrative evaluation methods; Qualitative studies; Questionnaire; Research ethics; Scoping reviews; Systematic Review; Thematic analysis; Trials and other evaluations;
Role Research;
Interest Groups Ageing and Place; Strengthening Responses to Dementia; Workforce Capacity and Capability; Working Conditions and Wages in Long-Term Care;
Websitehttps://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/karen-watson.html
ORC.ID0000-0003-4934-582X
GOOGLE SCHOLARhttps://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=aQWL2YUAAAAJ&hl=en
Research interests

Dr Watson completed an NHMRC Dementia Collaborative Research Centre Fellowship, and her recent and current research projects include: investigating strategies that support people with dementia living in the community; healthy ageing; workforce issues in residential aged care; and the feasibility and effectiveness of immersive communication strategies and web resources as an intervention for changed behaviour. Dr Watson is actively involved in supervising higher degree and honours students.
Key publications
  • Jeon, Y-H., Hobbs, A., Nelson, K., Fethney, J., Comans, T., Conway, J., Mowszowski, L., Hill, K., Wesson, J., Hewitt, J., Watson, K., Togher, L., Allman-Farinelli, M., Petrie, G., O’Leary, F., Hilmer, S., Little, S., et al (2024). Evaluation of the Interdisciplinary Care Home-bAsed Reablement Program (I-CHARP) for People Living With Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Care Homes. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
  • Clough, A., Gnjidic, D., Cross, A., Jokanovic, N., Watson, K., Wesson, J., Beshara, S., Cheng, J., Sawan, M. (2024). Medication management information priorities of people living with dementia and their carers: a scoping review. Age and Ageing, 53(9), afae200.
  • Shaban, R., Curtis, K., Fry, M., McCormack, B., Parker, D., Lam, M., Low, L., Jeon, Y., Waters, D., Lindley, R., Watson, K., Dunsmore, M., Viengkham, C., et al (2024). Nurse-led framework to improve the safety and quality of residential aged care (HIRAID® Aged Care): protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials, 25(1), 737.
  • Fry, M., Curtis, K., Considine, J., Viengkham, C., Watson, K., Dunsmore, M., Shaban, R. (2024). Using real-time Delphi methods to develop a consensus-based framework to improve nursing assessment in residential aged care. Australasian Journal on Ageing.
  • Watson, K., Lewis, J., Parker, D. (2024). Communicating with older people. In Tracy Levett-Jones (2nd. Eds.), Critical Conversations for Patient Safety: An Essential Guide for Healthcare Students, (pp. 138-149). Australia: Pearson Education.
  • Lin, Y., Liao, H., Watson, K., Yeh, T., Chen, I. (2023). Acupressure Improves Cognition and Quality of Life Among Older Adults with Cognitive Disorders in Long-Term Care Settings: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), 24(4), 548-554.
  • Widjaja, G., Gnjidic, D., Clough, A., Watson, K., Hepburn, K., Sawan, M. (2023). Availability and evaluation of medication management resources for carers of people with dementia: a scoping review with an environmental scan. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 16(3), 195-205.
  • O’Connor, C., Liddle, J., O’Reilly, M., Meyer, C., Cartwright, J., Chisholm, M., Conway, E., Fielding, E., Fox, A., MacAndrew, M., Watson, K., et al (2022). Advocating the rights of people with dementia to contribute to research: Considerations for researchers and ethics committees. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 41309-313, 309-313.
  • Watson, K., Hatcher, D. (2021). Factors influencing management of agitation in aged care facilities: A qualitative study of staff perceptions. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(1-2), 136-144.
  • Poulos, R., Boon, M., George, A., Liu, K., Mak, M., Maurice, C., Palesy, D., Pont, L., Poulos, C., Ramsey, S., et al (2021). Preparing for an aging Australia: The development of multidisciplinary core competencies for the Australian health and aged care workforce. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 42(3), 399-422.
  • Watson, K., Hatcher, D., Good, A. (2020). Influencing factors that support and build aged care research capacity: Staff perspectives. Collegian, 27(1), 34-39.
  • Watson, K., Hatcher, D., Good, A. (2019). A randomised controlled trial of Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) and Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) essential oils for the treatment of agitated behaviour in older people with and without dementia. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 42, 366-373.