Investigation of the implementation, take-up and use of an online personalised platform for those who care for people with dementia
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Warwick Medical School
Abstract
[Introduction]
This PhD project centres around investigating an online resource for carers of people with dementia in the Warwickshire area called Care Companion. Care Companion was developed by Warwick University Medical School and offers personalised guidance which is tailored to each carer's situation with the goal of improving the quality of dementia care.
The primary aim of the project is to investigate the influences on uptake and sustained use of Care Companion and its impact on carers, people living with dementia and the NHS.
Identifying the resource's strengths and limitations is important for making improvements and increasing the likelihood that Care Companion will meet the needs of careers and have a significant and long-lasting effect.
Once the benefit and reach of Care Companion is established and optimised, access to Care Companion could potentially be made available elsewhere in the UK and play a large role in improving dementia services
[Benefits of Care Companion]
The annual cost of dementia to the NHS is estimated at over 26 billion pounds a year and there is a growing strain on resources the rising prevalence of dementia. As NHS resources are overstretched many carers feel inadequately supported, which has been shown to result in negative outcomes for the care recipient and higher costs for the NHS due to factors like higher rates of hospitalisation and care home admission. There is also a detrimental effect on the carer's own health and resilience, again resulting in higher healthcare costs. Finding cost effective ways to support carers and improve homecare quality is therefore a top priority to reduce NHS burden.
Carer focus groups were heavily involved in the development of Care Companion to establish what type of support carers felt they needed but are currently lacking, which informed the content and features of the resource. For example, dementia carers expressed concerns about a lack of knowledge about what dementia is and how to care for someone living with dementia. Care Companion attempts to support carers by promoting education via access to relevant, understandable and extensively screened resources. This could be especially crucial to those caring for someone with a rare dementia diagnosis, as GPs or other healthcare workers may not have the expertise to offer specific advice about this. Care Companion could therefore potentially become a cost-effective resource for healthcare training to further improve local services.
Care Companion also emphasises the importance of carers maintaining their own mental health and wellbeing using mood trackers, journaling, help lines and access to support groups. It benefits from being available for free online, which is convenient for people who may have trouble accessing support due to poor mobility or because they are from a low-income background. This would ensure that carers who have not previously had access to support have the knowledge and confidence to find support, for example, learning how to claim carer's allowance from the government.
[Conclusion]
Care Companion has the potential to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life, both for carers and people living with dementia. Carer support has also shown positive outcomes for reducing NHS burden. If Care Companion is found to be effective it could be a valuable resource and the present work will investigate ways to ensure that it is useful and accessible for all populations through several outcome measures.
This PhD project centres around investigating an online resource for carers of people with dementia in the Warwickshire area called Care Companion. Care Companion was developed by Warwick University Medical School and offers personalised guidance which is tailored to each carer's situation with the goal of improving the quality of dementia care.
The primary aim of the project is to investigate the influences on uptake and sustained use of Care Companion and its impact on carers, people living with dementia and the NHS.
Identifying the resource's strengths and limitations is important for making improvements and increasing the likelihood that Care Companion will meet the needs of careers and have a significant and long-lasting effect.
Once the benefit and reach of Care Companion is established and optimised, access to Care Companion could potentially be made available elsewhere in the UK and play a large role in improving dementia services
[Benefits of Care Companion]
The annual cost of dementia to the NHS is estimated at over 26 billion pounds a year and there is a growing strain on resources the rising prevalence of dementia. As NHS resources are overstretched many carers feel inadequately supported, which has been shown to result in negative outcomes for the care recipient and higher costs for the NHS due to factors like higher rates of hospitalisation and care home admission. There is also a detrimental effect on the carer's own health and resilience, again resulting in higher healthcare costs. Finding cost effective ways to support carers and improve homecare quality is therefore a top priority to reduce NHS burden.
Carer focus groups were heavily involved in the development of Care Companion to establish what type of support carers felt they needed but are currently lacking, which informed the content and features of the resource. For example, dementia carers expressed concerns about a lack of knowledge about what dementia is and how to care for someone living with dementia. Care Companion attempts to support carers by promoting education via access to relevant, understandable and extensively screened resources. This could be especially crucial to those caring for someone with a rare dementia diagnosis, as GPs or other healthcare workers may not have the expertise to offer specific advice about this. Care Companion could therefore potentially become a cost-effective resource for healthcare training to further improve local services.
Care Companion also emphasises the importance of carers maintaining their own mental health and wellbeing using mood trackers, journaling, help lines and access to support groups. It benefits from being available for free online, which is convenient for people who may have trouble accessing support due to poor mobility or because they are from a low-income background. This would ensure that carers who have not previously had access to support have the knowledge and confidence to find support, for example, learning how to claim carer's allowance from the government.
[Conclusion]
Care Companion has the potential to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life, both for carers and people living with dementia. Carer support has also shown positive outcomes for reducing NHS burden. If Care Companion is found to be effective it could be a valuable resource and the present work will investigate ways to ensure that it is useful and accessible for all populations through several outcome measures.
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 2272909 | Studentship | ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2019 | 09/07/2024 | Bethany McLoughlin |