Luff R, Ferreira Z, Meyer J
This review is an evidence-based guide, written with the primary aim of helping those new to the field of researching in care homes to learn from the experience of others in undertaking studies in these complex settings. The paper draws on illustrative examples from a range of studies and is broadly structured to reflect the various stages of a research project through planning, fieldwork and dissemination. The review aims to promote researchers’ understanding of specific issues relating to research in a care home at each stage of the process.
Whilst the focus of this review is on care homes for older people, observations may be relevant to researchers in similar care settings such as those working in the field of intellectual disabilities. Pragmatically, this review cannot be a systematic trawl across all research methods. It focuses on three broad methodologies as applied in care home research: Qualitative, (e.g. interviews and observations); Quantitative (e.g. structured instruments and control trials) and Participative (e.g. action research).
