IDENtiFy: Supporting the identity needs of frail older people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How does the culture of a Day Hospital support the identity needs of frail older people?
IRAS ID
226808
Contact name
Chantel Cox
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bournemouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 19 days
Research summary
People are living longer than ever before, in the last 40 years alone the number of older people has increased by nearly half. Frailty is condition which can occur in older people and means that they are at more risk of physical decline and more susceptible to illness. Half of all people in the UK aged over 85 are now estimated to be living with frailty and this is expected to rise. People experiencing frailty often say that they feel more unhappy, especially in relation to how they see themselves and their abilities, which can make them feel even worse.
So far frailty research has mainly focused on physical aspects of frailty. There has been very little research in to what it feels like to live with frailty and how people in healthcare services can make you feel better or worse about yourself. Christchurch Day Hospital has an innovative service for frail older people and, service users highlight that the positive way that they are made to feel about themselves has an impact on their healthcare outcomes. However it is unclear what it is that the staff are doing to make people feel like this.
The aim of this study is to understand how staff talk and act with people in a day hospital to enable them to feel positive about themselves while they are there. The culture of the day hospital will be explored via observations, collaborative interviews, focus groups and documentary analysis in order to determine key processes which a) need to be in place to help people feel good about themselves b) could be transferred to support future best clinical practice in other health care settings.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0367
Date of REC Opinion
23 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion