Steady Together
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility study of a a falls-based self-management guide for people with Parkinson's disease and their informal caregivers
IRAS ID
221022
Contact name
Helen Roberts
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NCT03111472, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s disease is characterised by slowness of movement, a feeling of stiffness and shaking. Amongst people with Parkinson’s, falling and memory problems are both very common, and increase with frequency and severity as time progresses. Those with memory problems are at increased risk of falling.
The majority of people with Parkinson’s live in their own home with a relative, who often plays a significant role in helping them with activities such as washing, dressing, cleaning and cooking. These relatives are often referred to as ‘informal caregivers’. Informal caregivers of people with Parkinson’s have reported that they feel unsupported in their caregiving role; this often results in significant levels of depression and stress, with higher levels in caregivers of people who fall or who have memory problems.
Previous studies of interventions for people with Parkinson’s have rarely been able to reduce the frequency of falls. However, they have shown promise in their ability to improve a patient’s sense of well-being, or their quality of life. Many of these studies have not included participants with memory problems, and they have rarely looked at the effect on caregivers. Increased involvement of people with Parkinson’s in their care has been shown to improve overall patient satisfaction. We will distribute a self-management guide for people with Parkinson’s who fall, and their caregivers, and will seek feedback about its content, usability, acceptability and format after a period of three months. We will include participants with memory problems, and will also study the effect that the guide has on caregivers. Our study will provide a preliminary assessment as to whether the guide has any impact on the sense of well-being (quality of life) and concerns of falling in people with Parkinson’s, or on the difficulties that caregivers experience in relation to their caregiving role.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SC/0488
Date of REC Opinion
13 Dec 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion