‘Exploring the impact of co-produced Best Practice Guidelines'
Research type
Research Study
Full title
‘Exploring the impact of co-produced Best Practice Guidelines on Supporting Individuals and Families with the Move to a Care Home’
IRAS ID
354330
Contact name
Marie O'Neill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ulster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
International literature describes moving to a care home as a traumatic and life changing experience (Ryan and McKenna, 2015; O’Neill et al., 2020a). Moreover, the significance of moving to a care home does not appear to be acknowledged or supported by formal services (Cooney, 2012; Brownie et al., 2014; O’Neill et al., 2020a). Subsequently, older people are denied an active role in decision-making and choice, which adversely affects their transition experiences (Fuji et al., 2013; O’Neill et al., 2020b). Findings from O’Neill et al’s (2020) study exploring the experiences of older people moving to a care home over the course of one year found that there is a need to increase health care professionals’ understanding of the importance of making a transition to a care home from the perspective of older people making the move and revise policy and practice accordingly. This would involve having policy directives to contain auditable guidelines to ensure equal access to health, social care, and rehabilitation services after moving to a care home.
In 2023/24, forty care home leaders participating in the My Home Life Leadership Support Programme at Ulster University undertook a quality improvement (QI) initiative looking at transitions. The work was guided by Dr Marie O’Neill’s extensive research into transitions along with her guidance in helping to translate the research into Best Practice. The participants explored with residents, families and staff what was working well in terms of the move into the care home, what has not worked so well, and how the experience could be improved. The feedback identified several enabling factors that need to be put in place to support the person moving to the care home. Based on the feedback, participants generated a set of draft guidelines on transitions and went on to implement a range of QI initiatives in their care homes to improve transitions.
The research study outlined in this application is aligned to this QI initiative on transitions, and it’s focus is to improve older people’s experience of moving to a care home through the implementation of co-produced Best Practice Guidelines.The process for this qualitative study will build on a previous research study by the researcher (Dr Marie O’Neill) that looked at transitions with recommendations to develop Best Practice Guidelines. The research gained ethical approval and the ethics application IRAS project ID no is: 194418
Data collection methods for this study will be as follows:
• A planned schedule of semi-structured interviews with residents and families will take place at 2 time points to capture the impact of the co-produced Best Practice Guidelines on their experience of moving to a care home:
i. Within one week of admission to the care home
ii. Within 4 -6 weeks of admission to the care home
• Use of focus groups with staff in participating sites to capture the impact of the co-produced Best Practice Guidelines in relation to facilitating transitions and staff’s experience of engaging in innovation and practice change.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
25/NI/0070
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion