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Teaching, Research and Knowledge Transfer

Research:

Thomas has completed two projects focused on the challenges of sustaining community-based group support for people living with dementia: A realist review of sustainable community interventions (SCI-Dem), funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, and the Get Real With Meeting Centres project, on which he acted as project manager. The Get Real project was a 2-year realist evaluation of successful Meeting Centres for people affected by dementia, focussing on how this locally-driven form of support has sustained thus far in a very challenging social care climate. It was funded by the NIHR, through the Research of Patient Benefit, Research for Social Care programme.

Thomas is currently working on the Crossing The Line project, which is investigating the experiences of family and friends who provide personal care to someone living with dementia, with the aim of co-developing practical guidance for family carers. He is also project manager for the Food Glorious Food project, which is looking at the benefits and challenges of providing food and food-related activities in a variety of diverse community group support settings. Both projects are funded by the NIHR.

Knowledge Transfer;

Thomas has presented multiple times at UK Dementia Congress, as well as virtually at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and Alzheimer’s Europe. He co-organised and co-presented a day long conference-style event to publicise the results of the Get Real project to a national audience of stakeholders involved with, and interested in, Meeting Centres. In addition he has regularly presented on his research in webinars hosted both by ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë and other organisations, as well as delivering information and guidance sessions on those interested in starting a Meeting Centre in various parts of the UK. He has also exhibited posters at Alzheimer’s Disease International Conference and UK Dementia Congress.

Thomas maintains a project blog on the SCI-Dem and Get Real research projects, and edits the quarterly Association for Dementia Studies newsletter.

Publications and Dissemination

Articles

Morton, T., Evans, S.B., Swift, R., Bray, J., Frost, F. & Russell, C. (2024). Reaching people and managing membership in community-based dementia support groups: The Get Real with Meeting Centres Realist Evaluation Part 1, Aging & Mental Health,

Morton, T., Evans, S. B., Swift, R., Bray, J., Frost, F., Russell, C., Brooker, D., Wong, G. & Hullah, N. (2024). Strategic and operational issues in sustaining community-based dementia support groups: the Get Real with Meeting Centres realist evaluation part 2. Aging & Mental Health, 1–9.

Tinelli, M., Morton, T., Bray, J., Henderson, C., Frost, F., & Evans, S. (2024). Using choice modelling to inform service sustainability for dementia Meeting Centres for people living with dementia in the UK. Aging & Mental Health, 28(12), 1713–1725.

Morton, T., Evans, S. B., Swift, R., Bray, J. & Frost, F. (2023). The legacy of COVID-19 in dementia community support: ongoing impacts on the running of Meeting Centres. Working with Older People. (In Press). doi: 10.1108/WWOP-03-2023-0006

Gordon-Smith, K., Saunders, K. E. A., Morton, T., Savage, J., South, M., Geddes, J., Craddock, N., Jones, I. & Jones, L. (2023). User perspectives on long-term remote active electronic self-monitoring of mood symptoms in bipolar spectrum disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 324: 325-333. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.090

Morton, T., Evans, S.B., Brooker, D., Williamson, T., Wong, G., Tinelli, M., Frost, F., Bray, J., Hullah, N. (2022). Sustainability of locally driven centres for those affected by dementia: a protocol for the get real with meeting centres realist evalu​ation. BMJ Open 2022;12:e062697. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062697

Evans, S., Harrison, M., Morgan, N., Kilkenny, C. & Morton, T. (2022). Community Makers: report on developing an online toolkit for supporting people with dementia to connect during the pandemic and beyond. Working with Older People. ISSN Print: 1366-3666 Online: 2042-8790 (In Press)

Morton, T., Wong, G., Atkinson, T. & Brooker, D. (2021). Sustaining community-based interventions for people affected by dementia long term: the SCI-Dem realist review. BMJ Open 11:e047789. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047789

Morton, T., Atkinson, T., Brooker, D., Wong, G., Evans, S. & Kennard, C. (2019). Sustainability of community-based interventions for people affected by dementia: a protocol for the SCI-Dem realist review. BMJ Open 9(7)

Other publications

Swift, R., Evans, S., Morton, T., Bray, J. & Atkins, J. (2023). Get Real with Meeting Centres - Demographic Profile. Association for Dementia Studies

Swift, R., Evans, S., Morton, T., Bray, J. & Wong, G. (2022). Get Real with Meeting Centres - Herefordshire and Worcestershire Meeting Centres: barriers to attendance and recommendations for how to address them. Association for Dementia Studies

Morton, T., Swift, R., Evans, S.B., Bray, J., Frost, F. & Wong, G. (2023). Keeping Meeting Centres going long term: Recommendations for people running Meeting Centres. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-43-8

Morton, T., Swift, R., Evans, S.B., Bray, J., Frost, F. & Wong, G. (2023). Sustaining Meeting Centres and similar community-led dementia support: Suggestions for health and care professionals. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-44-5

Morton, T., Swift, R., Evans, S.B., Bray, J., Frost, F. & Wong, G. (2023). What you can do to help your Meeting Centre: Suggestions for people who attend Meeting Centres. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-42-1

Morton, T., Brooker, D., Wong, G., Atkinson, T. & Evans, S.B. (2021). Helping your community group or activity club to keep going strong: Suggestions for members of groups and clubs from the SCI-Dem Review. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-35-3

Morton, T., Brooker, D., Wong, G., Atkinson, T & Evans, S.B. (2021). Keeping community groups and activities going - Sustainable Community Interventions for people affected by Dementia: Recommendations for practice from the SCI-Dem Project. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-33-9

Morton, T., Brooker, D., Wong, G., Atkinson, T. & Evans, S.B. (2021). Sustaining community groups and activities for people affected by dementia: Recommendations from the SCI-Dem Project for commissioners and policy-makers. ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë ISBN 978-0-903607-34-6

Project grants

Evans, S.B., Oatley, R., Morton, T., Jutlla, K., Wong, G., Hullah, N., Knight, S. (2024-2025). Food Glorious Food: A mixed methods evaluation of food-related practices in post-diagnostic community-based group support for people affected by dementia. Research for Social Care (RfSC) Programme: NIHR (National Institute of Health Research 205163). £348,299

Brooker, D., Evans, S.B., Williamson, T., Hullah, N., Tinelli, M., Morton, T., Frost, F., Wong, G. & Needham, H. (2021-2023). Sustaining Locally-Driven Social Care For Those Affected By Dementia: A Realist Evaluation Of Successful Meeting Centres (Get Real with Meeting Centres). Research for Social Care (RfSC) Programme: NIHR (National Institute of Health Research 201861). £349,980

Presentations and posters

2024

Evans, S.B., Morton, T., Galloway, G. & Coleman, R. The global growth and evidence base behind Meeting Centres. In Conversation with…Meeting Centres, 2024 (online)

Frost, F., Bushell, D., Morton, T. & Williamson, T. Crossing the Line symposium. Using the toilet when out and about: personal care considerations for family carers supporting someone with dementia. Impact of involvement of Experts by Experience in research to support carers in personal care-giving. Helping someone living with dementia with personal care: Common themes from lived experience. UK Dementia Congress, Coventry, 2024

Morton, T. The challenges in keeping post-diagnosis community-based support groups for people living with dementia going, long term: Learning from the Get Real with Meeting Centres project. Alzheimer's Disease International, Poland, 2024

Morton, T. How To Write A Lay Summary. Postgraduate Research - Researcher Development Programme, Worcester, 2024

Morton, T. Doing things with dementia: Exploring support to keep people connected. Dementia Awareness Week, Worcester, 2024

Morton, T. Food Glorious Food: Investigating the benefits and challenges of offering food in community-based support groups. UK Dementia Congress, Coventry, 2024

Morton, T., Gordon, H., Rooke, C., Collins, S. & Du Heaume, D. Meeting Centres UK symposium. UK Dementia Congress, Coventry, 2024

Morton, T. & Stephens, N. Networking at conferences. Postgraduate Research - Researcher Development Programme, Worcester, 2024

2023

Evans, S.B., Morton, T., Bray, J., Galloway, G., Gall, A. & Capper, C. Meeting Centres Symposium on National Strategies, Perspectives and Developments. UK Dementia Congress 2023.

Evans, S.B., Brooker, D., Morton, T., Hullah, N., Swift, R., Tinelli, M., Gerrard, D., Galloway, G., & Gilder, W. The Get Real With Meeting Centres Celebration Event. End of project day conference, ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë.

Morton, T. What can help or hinder community support groups in keeping going long-term? UK Dementia Congress 2023.

Morton, T. Sustaining community dementia support groups long-term: The Get Real with Meeting Centres project. Alzheimer’s Europe Conference 2023 (online).

Morton, T. The challenges of sustaining community-based dementia support groups: The Get Real with Meeting Centres realist evaluation. The Realist Hub presents, Aston University.

Morton, T. Meeting Centres and the Get Real research project. NIHR CRN online event - Dementia and Ageing: A Research Perspective (online).

Evans, S.B. & Morton, T. What is a Dementia Meeting Centre and how can it help your community? Dementia Meeting Centre Workshop, Swansea, 2023

Evans, S.B. & Morton, T. An introduction to Meeting Centres for people affected by dementia. Royal College of Psychiatrists, online, 2023

Evans, S.B., Morton, T. & Bray, J. National strategies, perspectives and developments symposium. UK Dementia Congress, Birmingham, 2023

Morton, T. Investigating how to sustain community-led dementia support groups long term: The Get Real with Meeting Centres project. Alzheimer Europe, Helsinki, Finland and online

2022

Morton, T., et al. Keeping Meeting Centres for people affected by dementia going in a post-pandemic climate: The Get Real study. UK Dementia Congress 2022 (poster presentation).

Morton, T. Get Real With Meeting Centres Research Project: What's been done, what's left to do and emerging themes. Meeting Centres UK Webinar Series. UoW (online).

Morton, T. SCI-Dem: A Realist Review of Sustainable Community Interventions for People Affected by Dementia . Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Conference 2022 (poster)

Morton, T. Get Real with Meeting Centres: Early findings from our Realist Evaluation of how to sustain community dementia support. UoW Research Seminar Series (online).

2021

Morton, T. Sustainable Community Interventions for People living with Dementia. Dementia, Care and Nursing Home Expo, Birmingham NEC.

Morton, T. How do you keep community groups and activities for people affected by dementia going? The SCI Dem realist review. Notts Realist Group seminar series (online), University of Nottingham.

Morton, T. & Evans, S.B. Adapting day and community care: Developing the 4 key principles of online community support for people affected by dementia. Alzheimer Europe - Resilience in dementia: Moving beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, online

2020

Morton, T. SCI-Dem: A Realist Review of Sustainable Community Interventions for People Affected by Dementia . Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Conference 2020 (poster and video presentation)

Morton, T. Conducting a Realist Review into the sustainability of community groups and activities for people affected by dementia (The SCI-Dem project). UoW Research Seminar Series (online)

Morton, T. How to keep community groups and activities going: the SCI-Dem review. UK Dementia Congress 2020 (video presentation)

Morton, T. The SCI-Dem Project. Meeting Centres BYOL, UoW

Morton, T. The sustainability of community interventions for people affected by dementia: A realist review. Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2020. ISSN 1552-5279 (Unpublished) (video presentation)

2019

Morton, T. SCI-Dem: A Realist Review of Sustainable Community Interventions for People Affected by Dementia. UK Dementia Congress, Doncaster (poster)

Additional responsibilities

• Member of the Meeting Centres UK network National Consortium.

• Host of the Meeting Centres UK network Community of Learning and Practice fortnightly online meeting.

• Co-runner of the peer-led ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Researcher Network.

• Research staff representative on the ¾ÞÈéÎÞÂë Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee.

• Member of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers Implementation Group.