A collaborative project between organisations in Devon and the South West Peninsula with a focus on the care and happiness of care home residents has been awarded £1,000 from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to help the team share their expertise and experience at an event as part of the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council Festival of Social Science.
The University of Exeter and Care Homes Knowledge (ExCHANGE) Project aims to improve the lives of those living in care homes through a programme of continual review and improvement and works closely with care home providers and organisations in the region alongside the South West Academic Health Science Network (SW AHSN). The project is about exchanging and mobilising knowledge between researchers and those working, living in and visiting care homes and is made up of researchers, care home providers and family members. Together they are exploring ways to use research to improve care home practice.
Researcher Chloe Place who made the application for the funding said:
“The ExCHANGE Collaboration is all about improving the happiness and wellbeing of those working, living in and visiting care homes. Being granted funding for this exciting event provides us with a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and showcase innovative care homes research and get care home practitioners and researchers working together to better care home life.”
“After care homes and researchers being cut off and disconnected for so long during the pandemic, this festival grant gives us the chance to get together and start talking creatively.”
“After care homes and researchers being cut off and disconnected for so long during the pandemic, this festival grant gives us the chance to get together and start talking creatively about how to make care homes better places to live and work, as well as showcasing exciting care homes research that’s already going on in and around Exeter.”
The event will be focused on networking and knowledge sharing about care homes research and will be held at Reed Hall at the University of Exeter on November 3rd.
To find out more about the event and register for a place visit the UKRI festival website
The research team have collated a list of PenARC research projects related to care homes and are keen to encourage further collaboration between academics and practitioners working in care homes research. Find the full list here and the condensed list here.
Get in touch with the team to find out how you can contribute.