A new book examined how research and development could be undertaken to provide better care for individual care home residents and their families, to enhance care at the organizational level, and to develop the care home's relationships within the wider community.
Source: Katherine Froggatt, Sue Davies and Julienne Meyer (eds.), Understanding Care Homes: A research and development perspective, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Dec
A study examined how care home staff and management could raise care provision standards through the use of a special tool that was designed to provide a comprehensive standard assessment of residents' needs.
Source: Iain Carpenter and Laura Stosz, Developing the Use of 'MDS-RAI' Reports for UK Care Homes, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2008-Nov
A report updated a formula for calculating reasonable fees for efficient care homes for older people in England, based on operating costs. Local authorities might have to find an additional £540 million annually to fund fair fees for a fully modernized care home sector that met the latest physical environment standards. If 'modernization' were extended to include a professionalized workforce, paid accordingly, the additional cost would be substantially greater.
Source: William Laing, Calculating a Fair Market Price for Care: A toolkit for residential and nursing homes (third edition), Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report | Findings | JRF press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Sep
An article examined how people who commissioned social care for older people perceived the motivations of those who provided care (in eight English local authorities). Providers were generally perceived by commissioners as highly altruistic, but also relatively financially motivated individuals. Associations were found between commissioners' perceptions of motivations and the nature of their relationships with providers. Perceptions of providers' motivations appeared important within the commissioning framework.
Source: Tihana Matosevic, Martin Knapp and Julian Le Grand, 'Motivation and commissioning: perceived and expressed motivations of care home providers', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 42 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jun
A study found that the quality of night-time care in residential homes was at risk due to a lack of routine inspections and of adequate training or supervision of night-time staff.
Source: Diana Kerr, Heather Wilkinson and Colm Cunningham, Supporting Older People in Care Homes at Night, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | RNHA press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Apr
A study found that bringing a community nursing and physiotherapy team into residential care homes for older people improved quality of life and reduced hospital admissions.
Source: Deidre Wild and Sara Nelson with Ala Szczepura, Providing Nursing Support Within Residential Care Homes, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Findings | JRF press release | Help the Aged press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Apr
Researchers examined the use of 'deferred payment agreements' in Scotland, which provided an option for care-home residents to have part of their care home fees met by the local authority with the balance met from their estate. There was support for deferring payment of care-home fees across all groups included in the research.
Source: Mari Mair and Barry McLeod, An Evaluation and Assessment of Deferred Payment Agreements, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | Summary | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jan