Enhancing in-patient supportive care for frail elders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishing supportive care needs for frail elders and developing an intervention to address these in older adult acute medical settings. The SCIOaS Study:Phases Two and Three
IRAS ID
127082
Contact name
Caroline. J. Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
The frail elderly are, and will continue to be,the greatest users of hospital services. However high profile reports have illuminated care practices where elders feel “done to” rather than cared for. Too often in-patient frail- elder care focuses on acute physical interventions excluding on-going social, spiritual, informational and emotional needs- an approach known as supportive care. Primarily developed within cancer services, the aim of supportive care is to assist patients to maximize quality of life and comfort through all stages of a life-limiting illness. Central to supportive care is the partnership between health professionals , the patient and their carers*. Despite the evident limits to their lives frail elders are not recognized as in need of this approach to care. Currently there is little evidence on appropriate definitions and effective interventions to improve supportive care for frail elders in hospital.
This study aims to improve the assessment and delivery of appropriate supportive-care to frail elders in acute medical wards. Phase One (not this application) reaches a consensus regarding the key elements of supportive-care for frail elders. Phase Two will clarify current care practices and the facilitators and barriers to giving supportive care. Data will be collected through participant observation of the nursing workforce over two months within two study sites and interviews with up to 20 patients and their carers and two focus groups with staff. Phase Three builds on this evidence to design a ward-based intervention to facilitate the provision of supportive care. Using action research methods two collaborative workshops will bring together patients, lay carers and other key stakeholders to design the intervention. Phase Four will evaluate the intervention (not this application).
* Carers are lay people who may or may not be family members, who share in the illness experience of the patient.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/SC/0434
Date of REC Opinion
14 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion