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A new research partnership supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria (NENC) aims to enhance residents’ experiences and care in care homes.

Care and Research North East is a partnership between Eothen Care Homes and researchers at Newcastle University.

It is one of three Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) in the care home sector, as part of a national project funded by NIHR. The partnership model is based on research informing practice and also on practice informing research.

The research team is led by Professor Barbara Hanratty, ARC NENC theme lead for Multi-morbidity, Ageing and Frailty, and ARC NENC Research Fellow Dr Jenny Liddle. The team have regular in person meetings with Eothen Care Home managers, and spend time talking to care home residents and relatives.

Through these conversations, they identify topics for potential research projects and discuss existing research evidence and developments. They then work with care home staff and residents to design research and implement research findings that can improve care.

‘A unique approach that shifts the balance of power’

Dr Liddle said: “What is unique about this partnership is the way that it shifts the typical balance of power in research, by starting with the ideas and priorities of care home residents, staff and families, and ensuring that these remain at the centre of our work.  This means we are led by what matters to people living and working in care homes.

“As researchers, a partnership like this leads to research that can make a real-world difference, and there’s a clear route to implementing findings because the research is being developed with care home residents, staff and families from the very start.”

Alexander Mollison is one of the Eothen residents taking part in the work. He said: “I think it’s important to have research like this. You’re not just drifting along, but you’re searching, probing, thinking – can we do better?”

As part of the work, the research team have collaborated with residents and staff to develop a short film which explains the partnership.

Watch the video below to hear from care home staff and residents describing what the project means for them.

Exploring care home uniforms

The first research project from the partnership has focussed on staff uniforms in care homes.

The debate about whether care home staff should wear uniforms or not is ongoing, with little research evidence to draw on. Uniforms may give staff a professional image and can help residents to identify staff. However, a non-uniform approach could contribute to an environment feeling homely and relaxing, impacting on wellbeing and quality of life.

The partnership team explored existing information on this topic, and then worked together to design a survey for Eothen staff, followed by focus groups with staff and interviews with relatives and residents.

The findings from the research will be available soon.

Read more about the Care and Research North East Partnership

Acknowledgements

This work is a collaboration between Eothen Care Homes and researchers from Newcastle University. It is supported by the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria (multi-morbidity, ageing and frailty theme).

The partnership is funded by the NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research Programme (NIHR131335 – Developing Research Practice Partnerships to deliver novel, sustainable collaborations between adult social care research and practice in the UK). This is a national study to evaluate new models of research practice, led by Professor Annette Boaz, King’s College, London.