Research aims to reduce hospital admissions of care home residents
A research project which aims to reduce hospital admissions from older people in care homes has received £1million of funding.
Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, has joined forces with the University of Bradford and a range of other partners, as part of a significant study to help cut hospital admissions.
Professor Brendan McCormack, Head of the Division of Nursing at QMU, is a collaborator and co-leader on key parts of the study. With 24 years of specialist experience in the nursing of older people, Professor McCormack is considered an internationally-renowned authority on person-centred nursing and practice development.
The three year project, beginning in March this year , will develop and test an intervention to reduce avoidable hospital admissions from care homes.
The study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the intervention builds on Professor McCormack’s earlier research and will see the team of university researchers collaborate with primary and secondary care clinicians, nursing home staff and family members to develop clinical guidance and decision support systems for UK nursing homes.
The study group will also determine the best methods to improve the skills of nursing home staff and clarify the role of family members . The grant will also enable the researchers to design the implementation support and guidance for the intervention .
Commenting on QMU’s involvement in this new study, Professor McCormack, said: “It’s a great opportunity to be a part of this research, as it has the potential to have significant benefit for older people residing in nursing homes and their families.
“The acute care sector is under constant strain and we know that the health of older people is not always enhanced through admission to hospital, so anything that can be done for older people in nursing homes to avoid unnecessary admission to hospital is a good thing.”
Notes to Editor
This study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research (NIHR PGfAR) Programme (ref: RP-PG-0612-20010).
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research.
The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world.
Research team: M Downs (University of Bradford), E Sampson (University College London), K Froggatt (University of Lancaster), B McCormack (Queen Margaret University), B Woodward-Carlton (PPI representative, Alzheimer’s Society Research Network), S Nurock (PPI representative, Alzheimer’s Society Research Network), L Robinson (University of Newcastle), C Ballard (Kings College London), H Gage (University of Surrey), G Rait (University College London), R Hunter (University College London), N Freemantle (University College London), J Young (Bradford Institute for Health Research) and J Wright (Bradford Institute for Health Research).
For further media information please contact Jonathan Perkins, Press and PR Officer, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, tel: 0131 474 0000, Email: jperkins@qmu.ac.uk
