The needs of people living with dementia for personal care often increase as dementia progresses. This study will help meet the needs of people living in rural and urban parts of England by increasing knowledge of home care support in helping with mouth and teeth care. South London and east London are home to two major dental training centres and this study will feed in to researchers and educationalists there. It will also have relevance to the large numbers of home care agencies working in south London and the estimated 45,000 social care staff in this area, as well as in other parts of London and beyond. There are substantial inequalities among people living with dementia in terms of the care they receive and the support available to carers. Most people living with dementia also have other multiple long-term conditions that impact on their needs for care and support and their quality of life.
1. Find out more about the content of care plans regarding personal care assistance with mouth and teeth care
2. Find out home care workers' views and experiences of supporting people living with dementia with mouth and teeth care
3. Explore the views and experiences of people living with dementia and carers, and social care practioners about home care support with mouth and teeth care
4. To consider the need for a resource for home care workers to assist them with mouth and teeth care in a co-production workshop.
The study (SORTED) will utilise a prospective qualitative design, using semi structured interviews, by video-conferencing software or telephone, with a sample of local authority social workers/care workers, home care workers, carers and people living with dementia, identified in different parts of England, including London. An analysis of care plans will be undertaken. An end of study workshop will consider developing a resource for home care workers.
The study team includes a patient and public involvement co-applicant (a family carer) who has assisted with the study rationale, study design and application. The study advisory group includes carers and dementia stakeholders such as local authorities and dementia researchers, and the research's progress will be discussed at the advisory group's regular meetings to inform emerging analysis and findings. There will be consultation with people living with dementia over the course of the study and they - with carers - will be involved in the workshop at the end of the study.
This study will provide important information about home care services for people living with dementia and their support and assistance with mouth and teeth care. It will provide new information about the content of care plans and the detail of personal care in local authority assessments. It will also ask carers and people living with dementia about the support they need and would accept from home care services in this part of personal care. The study will consider developing a resource for the home care sector from the findings.
The project was adopted in November 2021. It is funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research and will be completed by the end of 2022.