THE University of Bradford will be part of a pioneering new study to reduce the number of frail and vulnerable elderly people forced to go to hospital.

The £1 million study, lasting three years, begins in March and involves researchers working on new guidance for nursing homes in Bradford and London.

If successful, it could lead to more people with dementia being treated without the need to be admitted to hospital, freeing up spaces in under-pressure accident and emergency departments.

Professor Murna Downs, head of the University's School of Dementia Studies, is heading up the study, which will be funded by the National Institute of Health Research.

It will look at 'ambulatory care sensitive' (ACS) conditions - ones that do not need hospital care if they are dealt with early enough.

If successful, the study will lead to national guidelines on how families and care workers can make sure older people keep out of hospital.

Reducing the amount of elderly hospital admissions has become a major government priority, and recent weeks have seen emergency rooms stretched to breaking point, partly due to people being admitted for conditions that could be dealt with at home.

Professor Downs said such hospital admissions "are costly to the NHS and distressing to the person, their family and nursing home staff."

She added: "Nursing home residents are amongst the frailest and most vulnerable members of society. Most have complex health care needs and more than two thirds have dementia. Spotting early changes in residents’ health is essential to ensure active management of ACS conditions in nursing homes.

COMMENT: CITY CAN LEAD THE WAY WITH CARE STUDY

“With this funding we hope to develop and test guidance for care homes, which has the potential to reduce avoidable hospital admissions. Here at Bradford, we are committed to carrying out cutting-edge research that improves lives and addresses some of the biggest issues in society today, including an ageing population.”

The funding will allow researchers to work with primary and secondary care clinicians, nursing home staff and family members to develop guidance and support systems for UK nursing homes. They will also find ways to enhance the skills of nursing home staff and clarify the role of family members.

As a second stage of the study, they will test the new guidance in two nursing homes in Bradford. They will then conduct a pilot evaluation in 16 nursing homes in both Bradford and London to determine the impact of the guidance on avoidable hospital admissions.

If the results of the study, which runs until June 2018, are promising, the team will look for further funding to evaluate the intervention in a larger number of nursing homes around the country.

The University will be working with a number of researchers, including from the Alzheimers society and experts from other universities across the country.

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