Jocelyn is a social gerontologist and Honorary Associate Professor at Victoria University.

Her interest in education and research in the field of gerontology grew out of her experience in practice as a registered nurse (RN1). Her doctoral thesis titled Possibilities for resistance: A critical discourse analysis of nursing home admission in Australia made problematic the purpose of nursing home admission at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Since 2001, Jocelyn has coordinated the Master of Health Science - Aged Services program, where she has demonstrated consistent and exemplary leadership in the direction, content and delivery of teaching and learning in aged services. 

Research interests

  • Critical areas of public health promotion and disease prevention including societal attitudes towards ageing wellbeing; social and aged care policy; low cost insomnia treatment programs and dementia risk reduction.
  • Use of narrative inquiry to enhance the lives of people living with dementia. Jocelyn has made a creative and innovative contribution to narrative inquiry utilizing structural and thematic forms of narrative for the first time in gerontological research. She is recognised nationally and internationally for her impact on this genre in narrative inquiry.

Publications

Jocelyn has made an original and internationally recognised contribution to gerontological research relating to:

  • critical issues of ageing
  • narrative inquiry and dementia
  • discourse analysis (Michel Foucault)
  • leadership in curricula development.

Refereed journal articles

Polacsek, M & Angus, J. (2015) Making themselves at home: Ageing Germans in Australia. Australasian Journal on Ageing (accepted for publication)

Bisiani, L. & Angus, J. (2013a) Doll therapy: A therapeutic means to meet past attachment needs and diminish behaviours of concern in a person living with dementia. Dementia: International Journal of Social Research and Practice 12(14) pp.447-46

Bisiani, L. & Angus, J. (2013) Doll therapy: A therapeutic means to meet pas attachment needs and diminish behaviours of concern in a person living with dementia. Dementia: International Journal of Social Research and Practice 12(14) pp.447-462

Angus, J. & Bowen-Osborne, S. (2013) A self- narrative of life-long disability: A reflection on resilience and living with dementia, Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, Forthcoming article published ahead of print1471301212455121,

Angus, J. & Bowen, S. (2011) Quiet please, there’s a lady on stage: Centering the person with dementia in life story narrative. Journal of Aging Studies, 25 pp.110–117.

Conference presentations

Angus J (2014) Innovative leadership in postgraduate curriculum: The key for effective management in Aged Care Services. 6th International Social & Applied Gerontology Symposium, Akdeniz University Antalya, Turkey.  

Angus, J (2013) Centering the person living with dementia in narrative: An integrative methodological analysis of disability narrative. International Society for the Study of Narrative, Manchester, Metropolitan University June 27-29, 2013.

Angus, J (2012) Chronic illness and life-long disability narrative: A double jeopardy? Narrative Matters 2012: Life and Narrative Conference. American University of Paris, May 29, 2012.

Angus, J (2011) Centering the person with dementia in life story narrative: An integrative methodological approach to analysis. 10th European Sociological Conference: Social relations in turbulent times, Geneva, September 7-10, 2011.

Angus, J (2009) International Perspectives on Dementia Education, Training and Knowledge Transfer: The central tenet for postgraduate dementia services curricula development. International Psychological Association Conference, Montreal, Canada, September 2009.

Book reviews

Jocelyn Angus PhD: (2015) Orphan train: A novel By C.B. Kline, Journal of

Intergenerational Relationships, 13:2, 196-198, DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2015.1024092

Jocelyn Angus PhD: (2014) Edited book by S.A. McDaniel and Z. Zimmer, Global aging in the twenty-first century: Challenges, opportunities and implications ISBN 978-1-4094-3270-8. 

Teaching responsibilities

Jocelyn is the Course Coordinator of the Master of Health Science (Aged Services) (Coursework or Minor Thesis).

She teaches units related to social and political policy and aged services; applied research; leadership in practice; ethics and contemporary issues related to chronic illnesses such as dementia.

Postgraduate research students and fellows

Jocelyn has supervised PhD and minor thesis students in a range of psychosocial applied research issues. The diverse areas of her thesis supervision include:

  • narrative discourse of ‘self’ and dementia
  • non-pharmacological interventions and dementia
  • complementary therapy and dementia
  • consumer expectations of residential care
  • outsourcing and its impact on quality care
  • falls prevention in older people
  • service use in CALD communities
  • impact of policy and legislation on the delivery of care
  • end of life issues.

Current supervision

She is currently Principal Supervisor to one PhD student and five minor thesis students.

Research grants

2007 - 2013: Jocelyn has made an impact as Chief Investigator in the delivery of 6 projects that have received over $823,000 in research funding in collaboration with internal and external research centres and industry partners. These projects include issues such as low cost insomnia treatment programs for older adults; infection control in residential aged care facilities; national continence management strategies; and dementia risk reduction strategies.

Professional memberships

  • Australasian Association of Gerontology
  • Council on the Ageing
  • International Society for the Study of Narrative

Areas of expertise

  • Aged care policy & practice
  • Critical social gerontology
  • Sociology of ageing

Contact details

(03) 9919 1152