PALLUP: Improving home-based care for older people with complex needs

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The PALLUP Study: Equipping community services to meet the palliative care needs of older people with frailty approaching the end of life; a mixed methods study

• IRAS ID

  277171

• Contact name

  Caroline.J. Nicholson

• Contact email

  c.nicholson@surrey.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Surrey

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 4 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  Frailty is age-related. It describes the gradual loss of reserves that help older people bounce back after an illness. Severely frail elders do not have this ability. They often require many health and social care services, such as palliative care. Currently we lack understanding of severely frail elders’ palliative care needs and the right community services
  
  This study will improve services and outcomes by:
  • Understanding the palliative care needs of severely frail elders
  • Supporting families to work with palliative care services and reduce unnecessary interventions
  • Equipping community services to provide palliative care for frail elders

  Phase 1
  We will define and agreeing core palliative care needs for older people with severe frailty through combining literature with the opinions of older people, their families and key care agencies.

  Phase 2
  An England-wide survey, informed by Phase 1, will show how community services are currently working. Data will help us to understand the key palliative care service requirements of severely frail elders.

  Phase 3
  We will invite participation from patients, their families and care agencies from three sites from the England- wide survey. Interviews with patients and staff and service data over a year, will capture experiences and the response of services.

  Phase 4
  Will combine information across the study to identify how best to provide multi-agency community palliative services for severely frail elders at the end of their life. Workshops will lead to the development of resources to implement in practice and a tool for families to help them partner in providing palliative care.

  Research findings will be accessible to older people, their families and professionals. We will do this in different ways, including through older people’s groups and social media. As well as sharing findings though publications and communications with policy and practice decision-makers.

• REC name

  London - Brent Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/LO/0217

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 May 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion