Defining quality home care for people with dementia: A mixed-methods study

Justine Schneider Completed   2018

Introduction

Home carers are vital to the quality of life of growing numbers of people with dementia and their families, yet how they work behind closed doors and what impact this has is little-studied. Likewise, the experience of receiving home care warrants greater investigation: the views of the clients offer valuable insights regarding the factors that make home care a positive experience rather than a tiresome necessity.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine home care for people with dementia so that its function in community support can be described fully, with a view to service development and effective commissioning.

Methods

The project:

  • carried out participant observation in two home care agencies
  • involved home carers being trained and supported to keep reflective diaries
  • included interviews with the home carers and their managers, and with clients and their carers
  • review of documents and guidance about home care for dementia together with a survey of commissioners’ specifications for home care contracts.
Related publications

Research project

Title

Defining quality home care for people with dementia: A mixed-methods study

Timescale

01/04/2015 to
30/04/2018

Team
Justine Schneider

Nicola Turner
Samantha Wilkinson
Lucy Perry-Young
Kristian Pollock
Anthony Kelly
Kezia Scales
Nick Manning
Cheryl Travers

    Contact

    Justine Schneider
    University of Nottingham
    University of Nottingham
    University Park
    Nottingham

    NG9 2HA

    Email

    justine.schneider@nottingham.ac.uk

    PARTNERS

    King's College London
    Loughborough University
    Manchester Metropolitan University
    University College London
    University of North Carolina

    REF# P067

    KEY LINKS

    NIHR

    NIHR Funded Research Portfolio

    NIHR Social Care Statistics Working Group

    Journal of Long-term Care

     

    The NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR) is a research and capacity-building partnership between leading centres for social care research across England, with our Directorate hosted at the University of York. The membership of the fourth phase of the SSCR (2024-29) comprises Universities of Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and York, a collaboration between the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University and The London School of Economics and Political Science. The School for Social Care Research is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (www.nihr.ac.uk).

    Membership of previous phases.

    The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR SSCR, NIHR or Department of Health and Social Care.

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