MARQUE WS5: Observational study of agitation in people with dementia

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Managing Agitation and Raising QUality of Life- The MARQUE study Work stream 5: Observational study of agitation in people with dementia in care homes and hospitals.

• IRAS ID

  157603

• Contact name

  Gill Livingston

• Contact email

  g.livingston@ucl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  UCL

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 10 months, 29 days

• Research summary

  This observational (ethnographic) study will contribute to the MARQUE (Managing Agitation and Raising Quality of life) programme which is funded by the ESRC/NIHR. The project is designed to increase knowledge of and improve the lives of people with moderate and severe dementia, including those who may be nearing the end of life, and their families, by decreasing agitation and increasing quality of life. It is predicted that the programme will identify significant relationships between agitation in dementia sufferers and their quality of life. Agitation is a common symptom of dementia and includes behaviours such as restlessness, pacing, shouting and verbal or physical aggression. It is very common, affecting over 50% care home residents and 75% of older medical inpatients. We conceptualise dying with advanced dementia as a long term process and will explore factors contributing to “quality of death”, which is poorly characterised in the current literature.
  We aim to enhance our understanding of agitation in people with dementia as they near the end of life and how agitation is perceived and responded to by formal and family carers in care home and acute hospital settings. In particular, we wish to examine paid and family carers’ appraisal of the agitation, causal attributions and coping styles. We will examine how their perceptions and behaviours might influence care strategies and mediate the association between personhood, agitation and subsequently quality of life. We have chosen a observational (ethnographic) study as the most appropriate way of obtaining insights and developing theory within a relatively unexplored and highly sensitive area. Based on data from observations and in-depth interviews, the study will build an understanding of agitation phenomena and how it is responded to at the end of life.

• REC name

  London - South East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  15/LO/0222

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Feb 2015

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion