BU Research Blog

This is me. I am Ron.

Our next instalment of the ‘Photo of the Week’ series features Chantel Cox‘s image of a man named Ron.  The series is a weekly instalment, which features an image taken by our fantastic BU staff and students. The photos give a glimpse into some of the fascinating work our researchers have been doing across BU and the wider community.

Chantel explains her research and why she chose to capture a picture of Ron:

“My research is looking at the cultural processes that underpin healthcare professionals meeting the identity needs of frail older people.  It is known that a ‘loss of identity’ in a person may lead to poorer health outcomes and/or reduced engagement in therapy,”

“This photo is of Ron. I met him as I was walking past a café where he was sat outside dressed as Santa, in December. What struck me about Ron was his confidence and how he enjoys dressing up because more people engage with him. When asked to describe himself he said “I’m 68, retired and very disabled”. Despite this, he is able to support his identity needs through his physical dress. I hope that my research will enable more people like Ron to be supported in the future,” says Chantel.

If you’d like find out more about the research or the photo itself then please contact Chantel.

This photo was originally the winner of the 2017 Research Photography Competition. If you have any other questions about the Photo of the Week series or the competition please email research@bournemouth.ac.uk