Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby

Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby
Associate Professor
Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences
Telephone: (01792) 295783
Room: Office - 123
First Floor
Haldane Building
Singleton Campus

I have an interdisciplinary background in Demography and Sociology applied to Social Policy issues (BScHons, UK; MSc, MPhil Sociology, PhD Demography, La Sorbonne, Paris).

Having worked previously in France, New Zealand and Mauritius, my international academic experience has spanned interdisciplinary, comparative research on population ageing and its implications for population policy and development,  intergenerational relationships and more recently, issues around ageing in place and older people’s housing.

I have collaborated in European and international research projects (e.g. UN Fertility and Family Surveys project; French-British ESRC-EC International Comparisons of Family Policies in Europe project; New Zealand, The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology  – Mid-life transactions project; ESRC-UK & CNAV-France Comparison of Housing Adaptations project), and since arriving at Swansea, have collaborated with Welsh Government and third sector partners in developing, collaborating and leading on various projects (housing preferences; housing adaptations; older people and technology; extra-care housing; "moving home" service developments; electrical safety at home; intergenerational relations and care environments).

I am joint coordinator for the European Network on Housing Research working group Housing & Living Conditions of Ageing Populations, and was member of the Welsh Government’s Expert Group on Housing an Ageing Population. I am also involved in the development of work for the Housing Learning & Information Network in Wales. I write and review for leading scientific journals in the fields of Social Gerontology and Sociology. My teaching expertise is in comparative social policy, the use of evidence for research, policy and practice, and ageing studies. My PhD supervision currently focuses on the broad area of "ageing in place" (e.g. older people's housing choices and preferences; intergenerational interventions and dementia in residential care settings; networking patterns of community-based service providers; the role of ICTs in facilitating independent living at home).

Publications

  1. Relational Sociology: Contributions to Understanding Residential Relocation Decisions in Later Life. In F. Dépelteau (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Relational Sociology. (pp. 621-639). Palgrave Macmillan.
  2. (2017). ‘Pathways to choice’ of care setting. Ageing and Society, 1-30.
  3. (2014). The Meaning of "Independence" for Older People in Different Residential Settings. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 69(3), 419-430.
  4. The Failure of Family Planning in Mauritian “Cités”. In Petit, Véronique (Ed.), Population Studies and Development from Theory to Fieldwork. (pp. 193-204). Springer.
  5. & (2019). Decisions About the “If,” “When,” and “How” of Moving Home: Can a Relocation Service Help? A Welsh Case Study. Journal of Housing For the Elderly, 1-23.

See more...

Teaching

  • ASP300 Dissertation

    The aim of this module is to provide students with an opportunity to analyse and report on a social issue of their own choosing.

  • ASP315 Social Policy in an Ageing World

    This module explores policies and provision for an ageing population. It begins with an overview of the theoretical explanations of the experience of ageing and takes a critical social gerontological approach towards the analysis of policy. The impact of ageism and other forms of discrimination is explored. Substantive areas of policy (e.g. mobility and transport, safe-guarding in residential contexts, housing) are scrutinized in the UK and Welsh contexts, and comparatively with other countries.

  • ASPM12 Policies, ageing and older people: constructing realities

    This module provides students with the opportunity to critically analyse some of the core concepts and assumptions underpinning current policy issues and debates, with reference to Timonen¿s theory of model ageing and the work of other critical social gerontologists adopting a social constructionist perspective to social issues. Through the medium of research-based case studies, students will be asked to reflect on notions such as ¿successful¿ and ¿active¿ ageing, promoting ¿independence¿ and ¿choice¿ and ¿ageing well¿, and critically assess these concepts in relation to policy.

  • PPS215 Using Evidence for Research, Policy and Practice

    The module aims to provide students with the elementary knowledge and tools necessary to identify, record, and interpret different types of literature and secondary data sources for use in the development of evidence-based literature reviews which can inform research, practice and/or policy. Students will be introduced to: the substantive aspects of developing evidence for research, policy and practice, illustrated with examples of evidence-based policy; different approaches to reviewing literature; identifying and searching specialist databases containing survey and census data; recording and storing evidence using specialist software; and applying these skills and knowledge by preparing a literature review on a social policy topic.

  • SHHM34 Case Studies in Applied Social Research: Social Work

    The module examines key issues in research on social work and social care by presenting a series of case studies illustrating various research methods applied in these areas.

Supervision

  • Older Adults, Informal Support, and the Driving Cessation Process (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby
    Other supervisor: Dr Charles Musselwhite

  • The role of social support networks in the dementia literacy of older adults in Wales. (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby
    Other supervisor: Dr Martin Hyde
    Other supervisor: Prof Vanessa Burholt
    Other supervisor: Prof Norah Keating

  • IPad based and Computer Investigation of Visual Attention-related Function in Vascular Cognitive Impairment (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Megan Crawford
    Other supervisor: Dr Jeremy Tree
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby
    Other supervisor: Prof Andrea Tales

  • Attitudes of Clinical Staff towards peri-natal bereavement support in Oman (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Prof Joy Merrell
    Other supervisor: Dr Sherrill Snelgrove
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby

  • Enhancing person-centred care and wellbeing for older residents with dementia through intergenerational practice (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Prof Andrea Tales
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby

  • The Development of an Indoor Environmental Assessment Tool for People with Mild to Moderate Dementia living in nursing homes, residential homes, sheltered housing and extra care housing. (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Martin Hyde
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby

  • 'Mutual caring and learning disabilities: The lived experiences of mutual carers and the role of service providers.' (awarded 2018)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby
    Other supervisor: Prof Fiona Verity

  • “We are probably Wales’ best kept secret” – An exploration of the role of Care & Repair Cymru caseworkers in facilitating independent living for older people in Wales. (awarded 2018)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Prof Vanessa Burholt
    Other supervisor: Dr Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby

Administrative Responsibilities

  • Management Team Member - Department of Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences

    0 - Present

  • Convenor for modules - Social Policy BSc Programme and MSc Ageing and Gerontology

    0 - Present

Career History

Start Date End Date Position Held Location
2009 Present Associate Professor Swansea University
2006 2009 Senior Lecturer Swansea University
1995 2006 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer University of Waikato, NZ
1992 1995 Assistant Lecturer Université René Descartes, La Sorbonne, Département des Sciences Sociales
1992 1995 Consultant UNFPA & UNDP Indian Ocean (population change expert)
1991 1995 Research Assistant European Observatory for...
1982 1989 Documentalist International Bureau of Education, UNESCO, Geneva

External Responsibilities

  • Member , Housing Learning & Information Network Cymru

    2017 - Present

  • Coordinator, Working Group, Housing and Living Conditions of Ageing Populations, ENHR

    2010 - Present

  • Member of the , Welsh Government’s Expert Group on Housing an Ageing Population

    2015 - 2017

  • Member of Executive Committee, British Society of Gerontology

    2008 - Present

  • Dept. of Work and Pensions, Steering Group, British Society of Gerontology

    2012 - 2013

  • Steering Group, OPAN Cymru, Welsh Assembly Government, Swansea University

    2006 - 2010

  • Co-Editor, New Zealand Population Review, Waikato University, Population Studies Centre, New Zealand

    2005 - 2006

  • Elected Member, Council of New Zealand Population Association, Waikato University, New Zealand

    2003 - 2006

  • Elected Committee member, New Zealand Association of Gerontology, Waikato University, New Zealand

    2004 - 2006

Calling from outside the UK?

+44 1792 295783