Hello! Could you tell us who you are and what your job title is?
My name’s Chloë Place and I’m a Postdoctoral Research Associate working on the University of Exeter and Care Homes Knowledge Collaboration.
When did you join PenARC?
Very recently, in January 2022.
How would you explain to a young person what it is that you do?
I talk to people who live and work in older people’s care homes to find out how we can make them nicer places to live for older people to make them happier.
What are your job’s greatest rewards?
Knowing that the research I am doing is aimed at improving the wellbeing of older people living in care homes and has tangible real-life impact.
And its greatest challenges?
Understanding all the acronyms used by applied health researchers! There are many!
Has the pandemic changed the way that you work?
I’ve got very into writing hour-by-hour breakdown lists of my working days. I think being remote it’s easy to feel like time is disappearing and I now micromanage my time in a way I didn’t when working in-person.
If you weren’t doing this job, then what would you be doing?
I’d be dedicating more time to finishing off my PhD. As I work part-time I’m only spending a couple of days a week on it, so it’s taking me a little longer to get done.
Tell us something that not everybody knows about you…
I did a charity skydive with my, at the time, 82-year-old granddad and his twin brother. I think that’s a good example of how being an older person doesn’t necessarily have to limit your capacity to step out of your comfort zone. My granddad’s twin did break his ankle on landing but claims he’d happily do it again!
***
Subscribe to the PenARC Matters Newsletter for more introductions to the PenARC team.