Development of an intervention to target ongoing social and leisure needs for older people following an episode of intermediate care or reablement (Advert ref: RDF18/SWE/WHITEHEAD)

The recently published NICE guideline for Intermediate Care including Reablement recommends that participation in social and leisure activities is considered as a legitimate goal for people using services (NICE, 2017). However, services are time-limited and focus predominantly on personal care tasks and other daily living activities within the home (Whitehead, 2016). This means that many older people are discharged as “independent” yet remain unable to access their communities, struggle to participate in extended daily living activities, and are often socially isolated within their own homes. Age UK reports that loneliness can be as harmful to human health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day (Age UK, 2017). Thus, there are significant implications for older people in terms of reduced quality of life, further functional deterioration, and increased use of health and social care services.

An episode of intermediate care or reablement usually follows an event such as a fall or a period of hospitalisation; it is therefore a judicious time point for intervention to restore function and prevent further deterioration. However, it is not known if additional or extended intervention leads to improved outcomes for older people and reductions in further service use. This is particularly the case for those older people who have regained their independence within the home but who may have ongoing social, leisure and community participation goals or needs.

This project will investigate the ongoing social and leisure needs for people who have completed an episode of intermediate care and reablement and are at risk of social isolation or loneliness. The project will develop and pilot an intervention to target this; the intervention may involve new or additional therapy provision (such as additional outdoor mobility rehabilitation) or the standardisation of use of existing routine services (such as referral to social groups or befriending schemes). It is proposed that the project will be conducted in three phases:

• Phase 1 will map and describe existing and routine service provision within the local area.
• Phase 2 will explore the needs, views and experiences of older adults and staff from within intermediate care and reablement services.
• Phase 3 will synthesise the findings from the previous two phases in order to develop and pilot an intervention within one local service

Eligibility and How to Apply
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
• Applicants cannot apply for this funding if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF18/…) will not be considered.

Deadline for applications: 28 January 2018
Start Date: 1 October 2018

Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality and is a member of the Euraxess network, which delivers information and support to professional researchers.