Dr Sandra Varey

Lecturer in Health Research

Research Overview

Sandra Varey is a Lecturer in Health Research in the Division of Health Research at Lancaster University. Her research interests encompass a wide-range of issues relating to ageing and palliative care, with a focus on qualitative research methodologies. Sandra has a number of years’ experience of working with adults of varying ages, both as a researcher and educator, and has worked with family carers and people living with a range of health conditions including cancer, COPD, dementia, diabetes and heart failure. She is interested in issues of ageing and wellbeing, including the relationships between older adults, family carers and healthcare professionals.

Sandra’s recent research includes:

  • Using life course methodologies to understand the impact of physical activity interventions on people living in Pennine Lancashire (the Together an Active Future phase 1 evaluation; funded by Sport England; 2019-2021)
  • Grief, loss and the Creative Arts (the A Home for Grief project evaluation; funded by the Arts Council; 2020-2021)
  • Experiences and Impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak for Older Adults (2020-2021)
  • Advance care planning for nursing homes in a COVID-19 outbreak (the Necessary Discussions project; funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland; 2020-2021)
  • Exploring patient and family carer experiences of a 7-day enhanced specialist palliative care service (funded by Macmillan Cancer Support; 2018-2020)
  • The use of technologies to support the self-management of long-term conditions for older people (the Lancashire and Cumbria Innovation Alliance Test Bed phase 1 evaluation; funded by NHS England; 2016-2018)

A Home For Grief
19/10/2020 → 16/06/2021
Research

Together an Active Future programme evaluation
01/01/2019 → …
Research

Macmillan 7-day Specialist Advice and Assessment programme evaluation
01/08/2018 → …
Research

Testing New Models of Care: An Evaluation of the Lancashire and Cumbria Innovation Alliance NHS Test Bed
01/03/2016 → 30/06/2018
Research

Integrated and Supportive Palliative Care
01/12/2015 → 31/10/2016
Research

Connections of Workplace Cultures, Patient Safety and Dignity
01/08/2014 → 19/12/2014
Other

Older people and social isolation
01/01/2014 → 30/04/2014
Research

Thoracic Epidural analgesia versus Rectus Sheath Catheters: an embedded qualitative study within a clinical trial
01/11/2013 → 31/10/2014
Research

Virtuous Cycles: Wound care solutions for older adults
01/08/2013 → 31/01/2014
Research

Both sides of the fence: using action research to improve end of life care for prisoners
01/06/2013 → 31/05/2016
Research

Parkinson's UK conference 2020
Participation in conference

Exploring the power of combinatorial health technologies to support self-management of COPD amongst older people.
Oral presentation

‘Facilitators and barriers to the self-management of health for older people with long-term conditions using combinatorial health technologies: Key findings from the Lancashire and Cumbria Innovation Alliance Test Bed.’
Oral presentation

Older people’s use of personalised combinatorial healthcare technologies in the self-management of long-term conditions: what can we learn from the Lancashire and Cumbria Innovation Alliance Test Bed?’
Oral presentation

Lancashire and Cumbria Innovation Alliance Test Bed: Lessons learned
Oral presentation

'Nothing about me without me’: achieving meaningful patient and public involvement (PPI) in a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)
Oral presentation