Project Details

Description

Older adults resident in care homes typically live with multiple long-term conditions. Care home research in the UK has relied on researcher-collected assessments and outcome measures. Our scoping review identified inconsistency and heterogeneity in measures used and under representation of care specific outcomes.i
The DACHA study (developing research resources and minimum dataset for care homes adoption and use)ii is piloting the co-production of a minimum data set (MDS) for UK care homes. The MDS will bring together routinely-collected care home data with NHS and administrative data, reducing duplication of effort for homes, while ensuring a holistic resident profile is retained. International evidence and early findings from DACHA stakeholder consultations and realist reviewiii,iv shows that the views of care home staff who provide care are often overlooked. How different assessments are understood and used over time determines their engagement and what is recognised as important. Our PPIE and stakeholder engagement consistently emphasises the need for an MDS to capture residents’ wellbeing, quality of life and mental health in ways that are meaningful to staff.
There has been accelerated uptake of digital care planning and recording software within UK care homes. However, it is not known how staff complete such assessments and the response an assessment may trigger. Some research instruments capturing aspects of older adults’ mental health have not been validated in the care home context v. Most were designed for self-report or clinician diagnosisvi. Self-report can be problematic for those living in care homes due to cognition and communication difficulties. This SWAP explores how care workers interpret MDS measures as part of their everyday work, and how understanding the context in which assessment takes place can inform policy and practice.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/11/1931/10/23

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