The Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) toolkit is relevant to all researchers seeking advice on carrying out studies in a Care home setting, regardless of their topic area.
The ENRICH toolkit provides signposting to information, tools and advice that allows researchers to prepare and carry out research in Care homes. It will also help researchers to better understand the complexities of conducting all research in a care home setting and why more research is needed in this area.
With specific sections for Care home staff and residents, users of the toolkit can learn about different types of research, the ways they can get involved, how they can prepare for it and what this may mean in practice.
The site also includes a number of case studies, specifically developed to demonstrate some of the practicalities of conducting research and how it could benefit homes and residents.
The focus on Care home research has been welcomed by Barbara Pointon a carer representative on the Ministerial Advisory Group on Dementia Research (MAGDR) and ENRICH. She said:
“Research will help us identify how we can meet the needs of the person with dementia living in a Care home.We can start to look at people’s physical, mental, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs - and how staff and families can be supported in the Care home setting. Doing research can help us find answers to the things that are unknown, fill the gaps in knowledge and change the way staff work – which are very beneficial to the person.
“MAGDR has recognised that much more research is needed to improve the quality of life of people with dementia in Care homes.”
Professor Steve Iliffe at University College London comments:
“The toolkit will help to do just that - enable more research in Care homes. It also provides that link between the research community and the Care home sector.”
For more information please contact DeNDRoN at info@dendron.org.uk and visit the ENRICH Toolkit website at www.dendron.org.uk/enrich.
