Measuring the impact of BPA on the wellbeing of PLWD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of bed-positioning aids on the wellbeing of people living with dementia: a feasibility study to determine the most useful outcome measures for a larger intervention project
IRAS ID
260185
Contact name
Rachel Bland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Aneurin Bevan Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 12 days
Research summary
This study will explore the impact of bed-positioning aids (BPA) on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of people living with dementia (PLWD). Its primary purpose is to determine the best ways of measuring these changes ('outcome measures') to increase the robustness of a larger intervention study.
Bed-positioning aids (BPA) can be defined as the use of pillows, wedges or bespoke sleep systems to position someone in one or more specified positions in the bed. BPA can be an essential part of a person’s 24-hour postural care - the careful management of a person’s position throughout the day and night. Alongside other equipment such as specialist seating and stand-aids, BPA help people to maintain healthier and more functional positions and to participate as fully as possible in everyday activities. BPA may also help to maintain healthy skin and circulation, improve swallowing and digestion, ease breathing and support better communication.
BPA are currently used by other groups of people with restricted mobility but there is little evidence of widespread use for people living with dementia even though they are likely to gain similar benefits.
This project will recruit a small number of people living with dementia who, due to restricted mobility, are at risk of developing or have already developed contractures. BPA will be introduced to each person and a range of outcome measures used to see whether the aids have had an impact on his or her wellbeing. This project will then evaluate which outcome measures were the most practical to use and which provided the most useful information. As part of the study, opinions will be sought from BPA-users and their carers and a group of treating occupational therapists (OTs), about which outcome measures to try and on which outcome measures were most useful in practice.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
19/WA/0125
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion