Living at home v.1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Living at Home Towards the End of Life

  • IRAS ID

    365162

  • Contact name

    Kate Woodthorpe

  • Contact email

    k.v.woodthorpe@bath.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Bath

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 3 months, 29 days

  • Research summary

    We know that most people would like to be cared for at home rather than hospital when they are living with advanced illness towards the end of life. However, we do not know how the homes people live in can affect this experience and the care they receive.

    To understand this better, we will ask people with an advanced illness who live in low-income areas about how their home and housing affects their experience of receiving care towards the end of their lives. We will also speak to their family and friends, and to professionals who provide support or care in their homes.

    We will work with health and social care professionals in low-income areas of Bristol, and Hull and Scarborough to recruit people to interview:

    Group 1A: People with an advanced progressive illness who live in a low-income urban area (n=20-30).
    Group 1B: The family/friends of the above, who provide or have provided support to them in their home (n=≤15).
    Group 2: Family/friends who supported someone with an advanced progressive illness in their own home in a low-income urban area who has died within the past 3-24 months (n=≤25).
    Group 3: Professionals who support and provide end of life care in the homes of people with advanced progressive illness living in a low-income urban area (n=20-25).

    In interviews we will ask about experiences of living at home with advanced progressive illness, experiences of supporting someone in this position, how the type of home and housing someone lives in affects their care, and how this influences people’s preferences for where they would like to spend their final days.

    The information gathered will be used to help health and social care providers, charities and policymakers to better understand how best to support people who are living at home with advanced progressive illness towards the end of life.

  • REC name

    North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    26/NW/0066

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 Apr 2026

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion