The Value of Research for Allied Health Professionals Working in Care Homes
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The Value of Research for Allied Health Professionals Working in Care Homes

Research, evidenced based practice and maintaining continuous professional development is essential for Allied Health Professionals working in care homes. Whilst there are clear benefits which support our clinical practice and outcomes with the people we work with, it can also be daunting for clinicians who are not immersed in the world of research full-time.  I…

New research reveals six ways that care homes support older people to thrive
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New research reveals six ways that care homes support older people to thrive

Despite the many known challenges that vulnerable older people can face when living in their own homes, moving into long-term residential care is often considered to be a last resort, and care homes are certainly not seen as places where older people are expected to flourish. At My Home Life England (part of City St…

Research in Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation

Research in Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation

As a Community Research Nurse, I’m passionate about making research accessible outside of formal NHS settings, making it easier and more convenient to take part. My background is in District Nursing so I also know how much people value getting care in their own homes and the extra insights you can gain when they feel…

It goes without saying that relationships are at the centre of all person-centred care in care homes

It goes without saying that relationships are at the centre of all person-centred care in care homes

I recently attended my first British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Annual Conference. It was an in-person three-day event, hosted by Newcastle University. At the conference I was invited to present a poster based on our recent literature review and also our care home research study findings (EHCH Study) at a Care Home SIG Symposium. Both…

Symposium Report: Developing competencies amongst the health and social care staff within care homes

On Thursday 2nd May, over 50 people joined us for our online spring symposium. This eagerly-anticipated session focussed on how health and social care staff could increase their knowledge, skills, and understanding when providing care and support to care home residents. Describing competencies for the medical care of residents, addressing challenges of training GPs and…

“We were a little boat in the ocean and the waves were crashing”.  South African long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic
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“We were a little boat in the ocean and the waves were crashing”.  South African long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Co-Authors: Leon Geffen and Gabby Kelly. Until recently, there were relatively few long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in low and middle-income countries. But since the turn of the century, there has been a rapid increase and South Africa contained at least 1,150 LTCFs at the start of the pandemic (Mahomedy, 2021). With colleagues from Mexico and…

Do families experience a moral injury when their relative moves into a care home?

Do families experience a moral injury when their relative moves into a care home?

Lots of people live in care homes – as many as 360,000 people in 2022. The large majority of people living in care homes move in during later stages of their lives. Approximately 82% of people living in a care home are aged 65+ years old and approximately 10% are aged 85+ years old1. People…

Working with the care homes community to improve mealtimes for people living with dementia

Working with the care homes community to improve mealtimes for people living with dementia

Mealtimes are a fundamental part of life Spend a moment thinking about some of the major events in your life, or those close to you – maybe a wedding, a big birthday, retirement, a baby’s christening. Almost certainly, these events will have been celebrated by eating, or drinking, or probably both. And now imagine if…

Developing ‘DrinKit Brasil’: a collaborative UK/Brazil project to support care home residents to drink well and prevent dehydration

Developing ‘DrinKit Brasil’: a collaborative UK/Brazil project to support care home residents to drink well and prevent dehydration

An overview of care home provision internationally Worldwide, the number of care homes providing care for older people is increasing as our populations age, becoming frailer and requiring increased support with activities of daily living. In many countries, care homes are non-existent and so the responsibility falls on families. Where care home systems exist, there…

INTRODUCING ART ACTIVITIES TO CARE HOME SETTINGS: PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES

INTRODUCING ART ACTIVITIES TO CARE HOME SETTINGS: PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES

Combining roles: being a health & social care professional and a researcher As a registered health and social care professional and postdoctoral researcher I have often combined providing care to care home residents while also conducting research on this care. Much of this research role has involved evaluating the implementation of art-based interventions within care…

Involving care home residents in research via Activity Providers

Involving care home residents in research via Activity Providers

In this blog post, we would like to introduce our NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) funded study: CHAPPI. CHAPPI stands for Care Homes and Activity Providers for Public Involvement in Research. In this project, we want to understand how care home Activity Providers (also known as activity organisers, well-being coordinators, recreational officers,…

Being a researcher and a relative: reflections on supporting a family member living in a care home
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Being a researcher and a relative: reflections on supporting a family member living in a care home

This blog post has been five years in the making. I first attempted to write about my experiences of supporting my nan, Ann, back in 2018. At the time, she had recently fallen and fractured her hip. And, although she had undergone surgery, she was struggling to regain the ability to walk. Prior to her…

My journey from Care Assistant to Researcher

My journey from Care Assistant to Researcher

Recent attention has focused on developing social care research and encouraging more social care staff to do research. This has prompted me to set out my journey from care assistant to researcher. I currently work at the University of East Anglia (UEA) as a Research Fellow, but my employment journey started somewhere very different. After…

Research for Change: Taking Part in Care Homes Research
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Research for Change: Taking Part in Care Homes Research

There are no shortages of challenges in the care home sector just now, with memories of the pandemic impact fresh and often painful, in addition to staffing issues and financial pressures. However, this comes with great opportunities for taking part in care homes research, as there is now more interest in the sector than ever…

1 in 4 Non-hospitalised Older People are Dehydrated

1 in 4 Non-hospitalised Older People are Dehydrated

Why is dehydration a concern? Low-intake dehydration, which is caused by people not drinking enough, has been linked with lots of health problems, including headaches, falls, dizziness, kidney problems, memory problems, pressure sores and diabetes. Low-intake dehydration increases someone’s risk of going into hospital, and if someone is dehydrated on admission to hospital, they are…

The British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference, July 2023

The British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference, July 2023

For the first time in three years, the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Annual Conference was an in-person three-day event, held at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. The conference involved a series of research talks and posters that describe a variety of issues relating to ageing and older people. There was a buzz…

New Blog Welcome: BSG Care Homes Research Special Interest Group

New Blog Welcome: BSG Care Homes Research Special Interest Group

Welcome! This is our first blog for the British Society of Gerontology (BSG) Care Homes Research Special Interest Group (SIG). So, we will recap who we are and what we do. This group brings together academics, practitioners, and other stakeholders with a common interest in care homes research with the aim of strengthening research, policy,…