HAZEL HEATH

PhD, MSc, BA(Hons), DipN(Lond), Cert.Ed, FETC, ITEC, RGN, RCNT, RNT.

Independent Nurse Consultant for Older People,
Honorary Senior Research Fellow City University London
and Consultant Editor to the Journal of Dementia Care
email: hh@hazelheath.co.uk

'Old age, so the saying goes, is the only disease you don't look forward to being cured of.  But there are many who would denounce this perception of old age as a period of grim and inevitable decline as simply wrong.  Among them is Hazel Heath ... She's convinced that caring for older people is more vital than ever before.  "Nursing older people is a speciality of the present and the future" she says. "There's a tendency to see older people as a race apart, but they're ourselves in the future ... The service we create will be the service we inherit".'

Nick Jackson The Independent Feb 17 2000 p 16-17.

Current Independent Commissions

  • Department of Health working with the National Care Forum, English Community Care Association, Registered Nursing Homes Association and My Home Life disseminating messages from the National Dementia Strategy.
  • Department of Health, working with staff and advisers disseminating new guidance on hospital discharge / transfer of care.
  • Department of Health, working with staff and advisers disseminating new guidance on continuing health care.
  • Department of Health working with staff on the Vetting and Barring Scheme new guidance for health and social care professionals.
  • Association of Gerontological Nursing in Ireland. Developing a new framework for gerontological nursing (2010).
  • Kings College London: EVIDEM (Evidence based Interventions in DEMentia Programme) researching into The Impact on Practitioners of the Mental Capacity Act (2008-2009).
  • King’s College London. Transitions from Cognitive Impairment to Dementia: Older People’s Experiences. Member of the Project Advisory Group (2009-2010).
  • Help the Aged, City University and National Care Homes Research and Development Forum: Developing ideas, writing and editing for My Home Life: Quality of Life in Care Homes: A review of the literature plus various workshops (2006-2009).
  • Royal College of Nursing: Developing guidance on Older People living in Care Homes: Issues of Sex, Sexuality and Intimate Relationships (2007-2009).

Previous commissions include projects for:

  • Department of Health: Developing thinking around NHS-funded nursing care and producing a tool to determine funding levels. Product: The Registered Nurse Care Contribution (RNCC) (2000-01); Reviewing the role of specialist nurses in rehabilitative and anticipatory care for people with disability and chronic progressive disease (1997).
  • UK Nursing and Midwifery Council. Project Manager for Exploring the professional, occupational and educational issues for registrants working outside the NHS (2000-2002).
  • Royal College of Nursing.  A range of projects over 17 years.

Appointments include:

  • Consultant Editor Journal of Dementia Care (since 2006)
  • Editorial Board Member International Journal of Older People Nursing (since 2006)
  • Honorary Senior Research Fellow, City University London.
  • Royal College of Nursing Forum for Nurses working with Older People. Co-opted Steering Committee Member 2009-2010.
  • Editor Nursing Older People (2000-2006), Consultant Editor (1997-2000)
  • Honorary Nurse Advisor to the Elizabeth Finn Trust (2000-2004)
  • Chair, RCN Association for Nurses working with Older People (1995-1999)
  • Managing Editor Nursing Management (1995-1997)
  • Acting Editor Primary Health Care (1995)
  • Assistant Clinical Editor Nursing Standard (1995)
  • Lecturer in Older People’s Care, City University, London (1994-1995)
  • Acting RCN Adviser on Nursing and Older People (1993-1994)
  • Senior Teacher in Nursing Theory and Practice, St Bartholomew’s College of Nursing and Midwifery, London (1991-1993)
  • Various education and clinical posts.
  • Various administrative and secretarial posts.

Published work: Textbooks

  • Neno R, Aveyard B, Heath H (2007) Older People and Mental Health Nursing: A Handbook of Care. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.
  • Heath H, Watson R (2005) Older People: Assessment for Health and Social Care. Age Concern England.
  • Heath H, White I (2002) The Challenge of Sexuality in Health Care. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.
  • Heath H, Schofield I (1999) Healthy Ageing: Nursing Older People. Mosby/Times Mirror International Publications Limited, London.
  • Ford P, Heath H (1996) Older People and Nursing: Issues of Living in a Care Home. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford (Short-listed as Age Concern Book of the Year 1997 for the book which best promotes the wellbeing and understanding of older people).
  • Heath HBM (1995) Foundations in Nursing Theory and Practice. Mosby/Times Mirror International Publications Limited, London. (Five reprints).

Published work: Book Chapters

Eight chapters in multi-author books, most recently:

  • Heath H (2009) The Nurse’s Role in the Care of Older People. In Tabernacle B, Honey M, Jinks A (eds) Oxford Handbook of Nursing Older People. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Heath H (2009) Older People Nursing (Insights from Experts). In Levett-Jones T, Bourgeouis S (eds) The Clinical Placement: A Nursing Survival Guide (2nd edition). Balliere Tindall, Elsevier, Australia.

Published work: Monographs, guidance and tools

Ten publications including:

  • Heath H, Sturdy D (2009) Living well with dementia in a care home: A guide to implementing the National Dementia Strategy. RCN Publishing Ltd. Published with Nursing Older People, Mental Health Nursing, Caring Times and Journal of Dementia Care.
  • Heath H, Sturdy D (2009) Nutrition and Older People. Published with Nursing Standard. 23, 40, June 10 2009.
  • Heath H, Sturdy D (2008) Safeguarding Vulnerable Older Adults: The Nursing Role.  Published with Nursing Standard June 2007.
  • Heath H (2000) NT Monograph. Sexuality in Older Age. Nursing Times Clinical Monographs No 40. London.
  • The RCN Assessment Tool: Nursing and Older People (co-author) (1997 and 2004) RCN, London.
  • What a Difference a Nurse Makes: Outcome Indicators in the Care of Older People (co-author) (1997 and 2004) RCN, London.

Published work: Journal Articles

Approximately 70, most recently:

  • Heath H (2009) Private function: the nurse’s role in helping older people to use the toilet. Nursing Standard. 24, 2, 42-47.
  • Heath H, Phair L (2009) The concept of frailty and its significance in the consequences of care of neglect for older people: an analysis. International Journal of Older People Nursing. 4, 120-131.  
  • Heath H, Phair L (2009) Shifting the focus: Outcomes of care for older people. International Journal of Older People Nursing. 4, 142-153.
  • Owen T, Meyer J, Bentley J, Heath H, Goodman G (2008) Better partnership between care homes and the NHS: Findings from the My Home Life Programme. Journal of Care Services Management. 3, 1, 96-106.
  • Heath H, Ford P (2007) Clarifying the confusion over continuing care. Practice Nursing. 18, 4, 172-176.
  • Heath H, Sturdy D (2007) Keeping older people safe. Nursing Standard . 40, 20.
  • Heath H, Phair L (2007) Emerging Agendas. Nursing Older People, 19, 5, 16-17.
  • Meyer J, Heath H, Holman C, Owen T et al (2006) Moving from victim blaming to an appreciative inquiry: exploring quality of life in care homes. Quality in Ageing. 7, 4, 27-36.
  • Heath H (2006) The gift of understanding: Behind closed doors. International Journal of Older People Nursing. 1, 4, 250.
  • Heath H (2006) No substitute for nurses. Nursing Standard. 21, 10, 19-21.
  • Heath H (2006) Progress and variety (Reporting on a feasibility study reviewing existing specialist nurse schemes and links to health and social services for older people). Nursing Older People. 18, 5, 16-18.
  • Heath H (2006) Mixing generalism and specialism (editorial). Nursing Older People, 18, 5, 3.
  • Heath H (2006) Older people in primary care. Primary Health Care. 16, 3, 18-20.
  • Heath H, Watson R (2006) Assessing older people for health and functioning. Nursing & Residential Care. 8, 8, 349-351.
  • Heath H, Watson R (2006) Assessing older people for living in a care homes. Nursing & Residential Care. 8, 7, 309-312.
Conference Presentations

Over 30. 2009 presentations include:

  • The enhanced role of the nurse in care homes. Presentation to Royal College of Physicians and British Geriatrics Society, London, June 30th 2009.
  • What’s in a label? Normal complications of old age – poor care – or neglect? With Lynne Phair. Presentation to National Care Homes Congress. Birmingham, June 24th 2009.
  • Poor Care, neglect or ‘just one of those things’. With Lynne Phair. Presentation to Action on Elder Abuse Conference. Nottingham, March 24th 2009.
  • People with dementia in formal care settings: addressing the complexities to promote best care and prevent neglect. With Lynne Phair. Presentation to the 4th UK Dementia Congress. Harrogate, November 2009.
  • Chair of the Older People Programme. Primary Care 2009. NEC, Birmingham. Sterling Events. May 2009.  (Also 2008, 2007 and 2006)

Qualifications:

  • PhD: The work of Registered Nurses and Care Assistants with older people in nursing homes: can the outcomes be distinguished? (January 2006)
  • Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice (Care of Older People) (1994)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Nursing Older People: Awarded with First Class Honours (1989)
  • Diploma in Nursing, London University (Speciality Medical Nursing) (1983)
  • English National Board Certificate in Nursing Older People (Course 941) (1986)
  • Certificate in Education (Distinction) (1985)
  • Further Education Teacher’s Certificate (Distinction) (1983)
  • Registered as a General Nurse (1979)
  • Registered as a Clinical Nurse Teacher (1983)
  • Registered as a Nurse Tutor (1985)

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