Exploring primary care and directly employed home care workers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring working relationships between primary care and directly employed home care workers
IRAS ID
228874
Contact name
Jo Moriarty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Care at home is important for the growing population of older people with disabilities, frailty or dementia. Lack of supportive care causes problems for older people and their family carers, and also the NHS, particularly with delayed hospital discharge. Increasing numbers of older people are self-funding or receive a personal budget/direct payment from local authorities, and employ care workers themselves. Directly employed care workers are outside current attempts to integrate health and social care, but they may offer valuable continuity of care and personalised support for employers, with potential benefits for the NHS. As yet there is no guidance about managing working relationships between directly employed care workers and the NHS. This two year study will explore through the use of semi-structured interviews the relationships between employers, directly employed home care workers (recruited through the third sector) and community nurses, general practitioners and community-based allied health professionals. From the findings we will make recommendations about good practice in care co-ordination, communications and information sharing.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0534
Date of REC Opinion
5 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion