Overcoming challenges of conducting research in nursing homes

Abstract

In the UK, one third of the 850,000 people with dementia live in care homes. This article explores the process of carrying out research in nursing homes, identifying barriers and enabling factors, and making recommendations for researchers.

The authors’ experiences derive from an ongoing study investigating the effect of educational interventions to promote and embed person-centred care, designed for nurses caring for the people with dementia in nursing homes.

Design issues arose from the need to use cluster randomisation which requires a large sample size, implementation fidelity, poor compliance and high numbers of participants lost to follow up. Further difficulties included gaining ethical approval, recruitment, raising concerns and the practicalities of participant retention. There are many benefits of conducting research in care homes, for the homes themselves, their staff and residents. These include training and education, networking and empowerment of staff and subsequent improved standards of care. For the research team, benefits include opportunities to contribute to an underserved setting, to advance care standards and improve nurses’ working lives.