A Toolkit for Care Home Research

This website is a simple, practical guide for researchers, Care home staff, research funders and research network staff. Developed by the Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) it draws on work from the NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR). It provides information, tools, case studies and further resources for facilitating research in Care homes. Whilst focusing on dementia the toolkit has been designed to be applicable to other disease areas, and information provided can be used to support the promotion of all high-quality research.

Around 250,000 people with dementia live in Care homes. However, only a small amount of research is conducted in these settings. The Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) would like to increase the amount of research from its current levels in order to improve the quality of life and quality of care for people with dementia and their families.  Research in Care homes will help us to identify how we can meet the needs of the whole person with dementia - their physical, mental, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs - and how staff and families can be supported in the Care home setting. We hope this toolkit will help us develop evidence to inform best practice to improve quality of life and quality of care in Care homes.

Research Community

Advice and guidance for Researchers, Research Staff, and Local Research Networks on how to prepare and carry out studies in a Care home.

Care Home Staff

Find out what it means to support research in a Care home, how to ensure you are prepared and what it is like to participate in studies.

Residents, Family and Public

Learn about the role Residents, Carers and Family can play in supporting high-quality research.

Useful Resources

For further resources, publications and guidance.