Dr Ruby Swift

Ruby Swift_2022

Senior Research Fellow

Association for Dementia Studies

Contact Details

email: r.swift@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 542468

Dr Ruby Swift is a Senior Research Fellow with the Association for Dementia Studies.

Ruby recently completed a doctoral research project exploring music in the daily lives of people with dementia and their family carers living at home. During this study, she shared music and sensory activity with participants in their own homes, developing resources to use into the future. As a Research Associate, Ruby has since continued the legacy work of the TAnDem DTC. Currently, Ruby is working on a research study funded by the NIHR called Get Real with Meeting Centres: A realist evaluation of locally-driven social care for those affected by dementia.

Ruby is also an experienced singing for health and wellbeing facilitator. In this role, she has worked with several national charities including the Alzheimer’s Society and Parkinson’s UK.

Qualifications

PhD Music and Dementia (2021). University of Worcester; Association for Dementia Studies.

MA Musicology (2013). University of Wolverhampton; School of Performing Arts.

BA (hons.) Music (2007). University of Wolverhampton; School of Performing Arts.

 

 

Teaching, Research and Knowledge Transfer

Research:

Between 2016 – 2021, Ruby conducted a doctoral research project exploring music with people with dementia who are living at home and the people who care for them, called:

Flourishing through Music: Understanding, Promoting and Supporting Musical Activity Shared within the Caring Relationships of People with Dementia Living at Home. (2016-20), Alzheimer’s Society.

This project was supervised by Professor Eleanor Bradley at the University of Worcester, Theresa Mitchell at the University of Worcester, Dr Claire Garabedian and Professor Amanda Griffiths at the University of Nottingham.

This research was conducted within the TAnDem Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), a collaborative partnership between the Universities of Worcester and Nottingham, funded by The Alzheimer’s Society. Through her work as a Research Associate with the Association for Dementia Studies at the University of Worcester, Ruby has continued the legacy work of the TAnDem DTC. As a part of this work, Ruby co-authored a report and journal article, created and analysed a staff survey to identify ways research could be embedded in University curricular, and created a departmental report based on the findings. She also initiated a project creating arts activity booklets for people with dementia and their families for use during Covid-19 isolation, in collaboration with professional arts practitioners. Ruby was responsible for promoting and disseminating these created materials through local and national networks.

Teaching:

Ruby is experienced in teaching within Primary, Secondary and Further education, most recently as an undergraduate lecturer in music and academic skills, and as a Singing for the Brain leader trainer with the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Seminars and Workshops

Swift, R. (April 2019) Seminar: The Use of Music in Dementia. The Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Redwoods Centre, Shrewsbury, UK.

Swift R. (November 2017) Phenomenology workshop presentation: Goethean Observation. University of Worcester, UK. 

Swift R. (June 2017) Arts and dementia: Reflecting on practice, engagement and value workshop. International Culture, Health and Wellbeing Conference in Bristol UK. 

Swift, R. (May 2017) Singing in Caring Communication Masterclass. Sanctuary Care, Worcester UK.

Swift, R. (April, 2016) Collaborative Working with Arts and Health Presentation: Singing for the Brain. Worcestershire Arts Partnership, UK.

Swift, R. (February, 2016). Master of Arts workshop: Singing for Health and Wellbeing and the Experience of Sound. Birmingham City University, UK

Professional bodies and experience

Ruby is an experienced singing for health and wellbeing facilitator. She has worked in various community, clinical and care settings and for a range of national organisations, including:

  • Singing for the Brain (Alzheimer’s Society)
  • Care home and clinical settings for people with dementia
  • Parkinson’s UK
  • British Lung Foundation
  • Prison service
  • Probation services

Publications and Dissemination

Publications

Swift, R. (2021) Flourishing through Music: Understanding, Promoting and Supporting Musical Activity Shared within the Caring Relationships of People with Dementia Living at Home, PhD Thesis, Worcester University, Worcester.

Swift, R. and Gray, K. (2020) Arts and dementia: shaping the future. The Journal of Dementia Care, 28(6), pp. 19-20.

Gray, K., Swift, R. and Brooker, D. (2020) The Arts and Dementia: Shaping the Future.  Worcester: Association for Dementia Studies.

Barnell (Swift), R. (2012) Neonatal Nightingales: Live Parental and Neonatal Nurse Infant-Directed Singing as a Beneficial Intervention for the Health and Development of Infants in Neonatal Care. University of Wolverhampton [online]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/2436/267852

Stannard, K. & Barnell (Swift), R. (July/August, 2009). Keep Music Education Live. Learning and Teaching Magazine, 14-18.

Dissemination

Swift, R. (December 2019) Sharing music at home: Exploring how music can be shared and supported within the caring relationships of people with dementia living at home. TAnDem Legacy Event, University of Worcester, UK

Swift, R. (November 2019) Conference welcome: the importance of the arts in dementia. UK Dementia Congress, Doncaster, UK

Dowson, E. and Swift, R. (May 2019) Sharing music in the caring relationships of people with dementia living at home. Presentation at the Alzheimer’s Society Conference, London, UK.

Dowson, E. and Swift, R. (October 2018) Oral Presentation: Exploring and developing ‘Personally Significant Music’ as creative process within the caring relationships of individuals with dementia living at home. The Power of Music Conference, University of Nottingham, UK.

Dowson, E. and Swift, R. (September 2018) Oral Presentation: The Music in the Person; the person in the music. TAnDem Arts and Dementia Conference, University of Nottingham, UK.

Swift, R. (July 2018) Artful Research: researching arts engagement through engaging in the arts. Presentation at the Seeds of Knowledge Conference, University of Worcester, UK.

Swift, R. (June 2018) Music and Dementia Poster Presentation. Postgraduate Research Student Conference, University of Worcester, UK.

Swift, R. (September 2017) Music and Dementia Poster Presentation. TAnDem Arts and Dementia Conference, Malvern UK.

Swift, R. (June 2017) Music and Dementia Poster Presentation. Postgraduate Research Student Conference, University of Worcester, UK.