Quality of Life in Older People
Theme Leader:
Design Evaluation of Older People´s Extra-Care Housing: Development and testing of an assessment tool (EVOLVE)
Sarah Barnes is a co-applicant on the EPSRC-funded Design Evaluation of Older People´s Extra-Care Housing: Development and testing of an assessment tool (EVOLVE) project, a collaboration between the University of Sheffield School of Architecture, Sheffield Institute for Studies on Ageing (SISA), School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) and the PSSRU, University of Kent in partnership with The Department of Health Care Services Improvement Partnership and The Elderly Accommodation Counsel. The project has been funded for three years, from October 2007 to September 2010, and is supported by a project advisory group of experts in the field. The aims of the EVOLVE project are to develop and validate a new tool that can:
- Be used at all stages of building design, from inception to evaluation following occupancy
- Identify design and environmental features associated with well-being and a higher quality of life for residents
- Describe the range of extra care housing available
- Be usable across the range of purpose-built housing and care settings available for older people
The first stage of the project involved the collection of evidence from design guidelines, literature and building reviews, together with information from focus groups and interviews with users, designers and commissioners of extra care schemes, to inform the development of design guidance and the evaluation tool. The second stage involved using the tool to carry out a survey of Extra-care housing schemes across England as well as collecting data from residents on their quality of life. Analysis is currently underway and findings will be disseminated towards the end of 2010.
Pre-protocol work to develop a Randomised Controlled Trial to enhance patient-professional communication about end of life issues in life limiting conditions other than cancer
Sarah Barnes is the Principal Investigator on the BUPA Foundation´s Phillip Poole-Wilson Seed Corn Fund project. The established, multi-disciplinary research group comprises academics and consultant physicians from University of Sheffield, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) and School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Lancaster, University of Bradford, University of Exeter and Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.
The recently published End of Life Care Strategy for England highlights that currently communication in patients with non-cancer life limiting conditions is particularly likely to be inadequate. Recent work by the research group has identified that patients with advanced COPD and heart failure (HF) have a poor understanding of their diagnosis and prognosis and have few opportunities to participate in Advance Care Planning.
The aim of the project is to develop an intervention to improve patient –professional communication about end of life issues in COPD and HF. The intervention will be developed following a critical review of the literature and consultation with key professional and service user groups. The primary outcome of the project will be a research protocol of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of this intervention for which substantial grant funding will be sought.