HenPower: Henergising older people’s lives

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    HenPower Evaluation: Henergising older people’s lives

  • IRAS ID

    256941

  • Contact name

    Glenda A Cook

  • Contact email

    glenda.cook@northumbria.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Northumbria University

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    none, none

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 4 months, 29 days

  • Research summary

    HenPower was established in 2011. It is a community based programme that enables older volunteers, the Henshioners to introduce hens, henkeeping and hen-related creative activities into older people’s communities. These communities include sheltered housing, extracare housing, and residential and nursing homes. The hen-related creative activities are co-designed by older people and professional artists (https://equalarts.org.uk/our-work/henpower). There is evidence that participation in HenPower has beneficial effects for volunteers including improved mood, mental well-being and increased social contact. There is less understood about the impact of HenPower on those living with dementia following the introduction of the programme in care homes. Hence the purpose of this evaluation is to assess the impact of HenPower on people living with dementia on the following outcomes:
    • social care‐related quality of life
    • social contact with visitors (family, friends, HenPower volunteers, HenPower related visitors) to the care home
    • agitation related to cognitive impairment.
    A secondary aim is to:
    • Explore care home staff views and experiences of HenPower on residents' personal wellbeing.

  • REC name

    Social Care REC

  • REC reference

    18/IEC08/0045

  • Date of REC Opinion

    13 Feb 2019

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion