Research and policy
Standard services don't meet everybody's needs and we continue to develop specialist services which meet the individual preferences of older people.
We are committed to:
- improving the quality of life of the elderly
- improving care through research that has practical implications for the care of older people with dementia and those with mental health issues.
- sharing our learning with others
- using our experience as a provider to ensure government strategies are properly implemented to give older people a better deal in society.
Current initiatives
- Examining government strategies on older people and ageing, working with Counsel and Care on making these strategies a reality for older people.
- Exploring the government's personalisation agenda and how to apply it across different housing and care settings.
- Member of the HACT's (Housing Association's Charitable Trust) 'Fit for living' network. This aims to identify and promote improvements to the housing conditions and well-being of older home owners in poor housing.
- Member of National Council for Palliative Care policy committee.
- Working with the End of Life Care Programme promoting dignity and choice in end of life care.
- Adopting a proactive approach to tackling pensioner poverty though our specialist welfare benefits team.
Dementia research projects
MyLife - a touch screen application for people with dementia - 2011
MyLife will be available on a computer or mobile phone and will give access to e-services on the Internet. It will:
- have an easy to use format for people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment
- enable the collaboration of secondary end-users, such as family members or care staff
- provide a range of functions including entertainment, communication and a messaging/reminder feature
- be completely customisable so that family or care staff will be able to prepare a unique personal interface based on the user’s changing needs, wishes and abilities.
The proposal will build upon a Norwegian prototype with the addition of new functions and the adaptation into English and German versions. Housing 21’s funding, through the FP7-ICT programme, will allow for field trials in the UK. The European partners in the project include four Norwegian organisations, the Berlin Institute for Social Research and Trent Dementia Services and Development Centre.
The aim of MyLife is to:
- reduce social isolation and boredom
- stimulate cognitive ability
- enable people with dementia to live at home for longer
- enhance participation and independence
- reduce the family caregiver's stress.
Users will be involved at all stages of the project, which started in April 2011 and will run for two years.
MyLife Flyer
End of life care programme - 2010
Housing 21 is working with the National End of Life Care Programme to improve dignity and choice in end of life for people in extra care housing.
A £10k Skills for Care Grant will implement recommendations made in our report 'Is it that time already?', which details findings of our six month improvement project.
These recommendations included:
- providing an introduction to end of life issues as part of staff induction;
- providing training for extra care managers;
- ensuring tenants and their families have the chance to discuss and record their wishes;
- ensuring there is appropriate specialist provision for people with dementia or mental capacity issues.
An End of Life Care Resource Pack for staff has been published, along with a DVD.
For more information contact Rachael Dutton, Research Manager
Tel: 0370 192 4511
Email: rachael.dutton@housing21.co.uk
For a copy of the DVD, email communications@housing21.co.uk
Housing 21 Dementia Voice Nurse - 2010
End of life care is rarely available for people with dementia. To fill this gap, Housing 21 Dementia Voice has created a new role - the End of Life Dementia Nurse.
Based in the community and helping people with dementia to die at home with dignity, the end of life care nurse will:
- affirm life and regard dying as a normal process
- provide palliative nurse input to manage health issues such as pain, incontinence, malnutrition and respiratory tract infections
- provide specialist expert advice
- attend to the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
- coordinate a support system to help the family cope during the patients illness and into their own bereavement
- transfer knowledge and skills to formal and family carers
- work with local service providers.
Housing 21 Dementia Voice has received support from the King's Fund to develop and evaluate this service in London.
Evaluation of the Dementia Voice Nurse two year pilot programme
Westminster Dementia Adviser Service Review - 2010
Interim review of the progress of the Westminster Dementia Adviser Service, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current service model and offering suggestions for actions and future developments.
(Re)-teaching people with dementia to use computers and the internet - 2008
We have secured funding from the NESTA Mental Health Innovation Challenge to run a joint project with Innovations in Dementia to pilot the use of computers in day centres for people with dementia.
One aim of the project was to develop accessible training materials for use with people with dementia based on the learning from the project.
The project ended in December 2008 and has shown:
- people with dementia can engage in computer work at many different levels
- the most important aspect of encouraging computer use is the 'human interface' - the skills used by care staff.
Extra Care Housing and People with Dementia
Scoping Review of the Literature 1998-2008
Commissioned by the Housing and Dementia Research Consortium and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, key aims of this literature review were to identify recent published and grey literature relating to people with dementia living in extra care housing with a focus on evidence relating to the following elements:
- Design and use of the built environment
- Facilities, furnishings and equipment
- Care, support and therapeutic services
- Organisation and management
- Outcomes in relation to health, wellbeing, policy and cost.
The purpose of the review was to take stock of what research evidence exists in order to:
- inform policy and practice through summarising what has been shown to be effective or ineffective
- highlight areas where there are notable gaps in the knowledge base and further research is needed.
Extra Care Housing and People with Dementia: A Scoping Review of the Literature 1998 - 2008
Summary of Findings from a Scoping Review of the Literature 1998-2008
Enabling Smart Flat Evaluation (Hillside Court, Bristol) April 08 - April 09
In collaboration with the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering (BIME) and Bristol Intermediate Care Service this evaluation aims to measure the impact of autonomous smart home equipment in a pilot Intermediate Care flat at Hillside Court in Bristol and to follow-up clients who return to their own homes.
Consulting with People with Memory Loss - 2007
Funded by a Department of Health Section 64 grant, this partnership project with the University of the West of England was an action research project which considered methodologies and issues involved in establishing reference groups of people with dementia for the purposes of informing research and service provision.
INDEPENDENT Project - 2007
This was a multi-agency project which aimed to develop technology and design solutions to help enable people with dementia to live independently, empower them and improve their quality of life wherever they live. Housing 21 Dementia Voice worked in collaboration with the Universities of Bath, Sheffield and Liverpool.
Rehabilitation Services for Older People with Dementia - 2003-2006
Funded by a Department of Health Section 64 grant (April 2003 - March 2006) this project produced a service development checklist for planners, commissioners and providers of rehabilitation services for people with dementia and their carers. This was developed through a comprehensive consultation process.
The checklist and other information is available from the Change Agent Team website.
Extra Care Housing and People with Dementia: Opening Doors to Independence -2006
Housing 21 Dementia Voice were partners in this three year longitudinal study exploring the contribution of extra care housing to the care and support of older people with dementia. The project was funded by the Housing Corporation and Housing 21. The April 2006 report:
- evaluates the contribution that extra care housing makes to the long term care and support of people with dementia
- makes recommendations for good practice for policy makers and housing, care and support commissioners and providers
- communicates the views of older people with dementia and their friends and relatives about extra care housing.
I'DGO - Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors - 2006
The I'DGO project identified ways of ensuring the outdoor environment is designed inclusively, to improve the quality of life for older people. In focussing on the changing needs of older people, the project addressed issues that are relevant to disabled people regardless of age. Housing 21 Dementia Voice was part of the I'DGO Consortium. More information is available at http://www.idgo.ac.uk.
