Out of sight, out of mind?
Posted on 13 September 2013
Nearly 400,000 older people live in care homes in the UK, and more than half of residents are aged over 85. Their health and social care needs are complex. All have some disability, many have dementia, and collectively they have high rates of both necessary and avoidable hospital admissions. Despite this, there are few data available on their health and well-being. Researchers from the University of York found that the majority of epidemiological studies relating to older people’s health either exclude care home residents at the outset or censor their data by not following community dwelling participants into institutions. Furthermore, when information from people in care homes is available, it has often been collected through a proxy.
of the University of York and Hull York Medical School said: “The paucity of data available from participants in care homes is understandable, when the challenges to conducting research are considered. Many residents have poor mental and physical health; levels of cognitive impairment and dementia are high.
“However, the absence of systematic data collection compromises our ability to monitor the outcome of health care in this population. Funders of research should take into account the extra resources that are needed to include care home residents in surveys and researchers may wish to look critically at the current use of proxy informants.”
Dr Eileen Burns, British Geriatrics Society Care Home Lead said: “Our own research has shown that care home residents don’t receive adequate access to health care. We fully support the call of this study to prioritise data collection on the health of older care home residents. Better data could answer important questions about the way NHS services are delivered to care homes, the impact of different models of care on patients’ health and which services are most needed by residents.”
For more information or interviews please contact Iona-Jane Harris on 07807 231432 or email press@bgs.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Notes to Editors
1. Age and Ageing is an international journal publishing refereed original articles and commissioned reviews on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Its range includes research on ageing and clinical, epidemiological, and psychological aspects of later life. It is the official scientific journal of the British Geriatrics Society and is published by Oxford University Press.
2. ‘Out of sight, out of mind? A review of data available on the health of care home residents in longitudinal and nationally representative cross-sectional studies in the UK’ and Ireland by Danielle Moore and Barbara Hanratty, University of York, Department of Health Sciences was first published online on 13 September 2013.
For the purpose of this study, care home refers to both residential and nursing homes. Residential homes provide accommodation, meals and help with personal care such as washing and eating. In addition, nursing homes have registered nurses who can provide care for more complex health needs.
The University of York is holding a one day seminar Out of sight, out of mind? Promoting the health of residents in UK care homes on 27 September 2013. For more information visit: www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/news-and-events/events/2013/sight/
3. The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) is a membership association of doctors, nurses, therapists, scientists and others with a particular interest in the care of the frail older person and in promoting better health in old age. The BGS strives to promote better understanding of the healthcare needs of older people and to share examples of best practice to ensure that older patients are treated with dignity and respect by all clinical staff they come into contact with.
The BGS publications Quest for Quality and Failing the Frail which are available on the BGS website www.bgs.org.uk outline concerns about how health care is currently provided to care home residents and make recommendations as to how the quality of care provided can be improved.
Follow the BGS on Twitter @gerisoc
The BGS is holding a one day conference on Managing Complexity in Older People within the Community in Harrogate on 20 November 2013. This will include a focus on commissioning appropriate services for care homes. For more information see www.bgsevents.org