“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…

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…

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…

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…