Abstract
BackgroundIn the UK care homes are one of the main providers of long term care for older people with dementia. Despite the recent increase in care home research, residents with dementia are often excluded from studies. Care home research networks have been recommended by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Dementia Research (MAGDR) as a way of increasing research opportunities for residents with dementia. This paper reports on an evaluation of the feasibility and early impact of an initiative to increase care home participation in research.MethodsA two phase, mixed methods approach was used; phase 1 established a baseline of current and recent studies including the National Institute for Health Research portfolio. To explore the experiences of recruiting care homes and research participation, interviews were conducted with researchers working for the Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) and care home managers. In phase 2, four DeNDRoN area offices recruited care homes to a care home network for their region. The care home networks were separate from the DeNDRoN research network. Diaries were used to document and cost recruitment; DeNDRoN staff were interviewed to understand the barriers, facilitators and impact of the care home networks.ResultsThirty three current or recent studies were identified as involving care homes as care home specific studies or those which included residents. Further details of care home recruitment were obtained on 20 studies by contacting study teams. Care home managers were keen to be involved in research that provided staff support, benefits for residents and with minimal disruption. In phase 2, 141 care homes were recruited to the care home research networks, through corporate engagement and individual invitation. Pre-existing relationships with care homes facilitated recruitment. Sites with minimal experience of working with care homes identified the need for care home training for researchers.ConclusionsPhase 1 review revealed a small but increasing number of studies involving care homes. Phase 2 demonstrated the feasibility of care home research networks, their potential to increase recruitment to research and develop partnerships between health services and care homes, but highlighted the need for care home training for researchers.
Highlights
In the UK care homes are one of the main providers of long term care for older people with dementia
Phase 1 Baseline of care home studies Thirty three studies involving care homes were identified through online searches, interviews with Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) research network staff and care home managers, and email requests to researchers
18 studies were identified through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) portfolio, six through the Social Care Research Register and the remaining nine were located in response to the email alerts, voluntary sector groups supporting older people’s research, through personal networks and contacts of the Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) project board
Summary
In the UK care homes are one of the main providers of long term care for older people with dementia. Initiatives have included the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvements Care Home Programme [8] teaching nursing homes [9,10] and academic care homes [11], but the focus has not been on research in long term care facilities. Compared with ageing research overall, research in this sector remains relatively underdeveloped [13,14] This may be explained by the difficulties in recruiting older people in care homes to studies, and it is increasingly recognised that there is a need to tailor research approaches to this setting. Such tailoring needs to acknowledge the care home as a person’s home, the importance of the care home’s organisational culture, and the resources that are required to maximise participation [15,16,17,18,19]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
