What can researchers learn from working in partnership with care home residents?
“Reflections on working in partnership with care home residents in health services research”
Join Katie Zwerger-Catley for this Lunch & Learn exploring the experiences of a public involvement group made up of people living in a care home in Sheffield. Originally established within the Urgent and Emergency Care theme and now part of the Delivering Care Closer to Home theme at NIHR ARC Yorkshire and Humber (YH ARC), the group has played an invaluable role in supporting and advising health services research over the past 18 months.
In this session, Katie will share how the group was established and sustained, the participatory activities residents have been involved in, and the impact their contributions have had on research. Attendees will gain practical insights into building meaningful relationships with care home communities and creating opportunities for genuine involvement in research.
The session will also include reflections from group members themselves, highlighting what they would like researchers to know about working in partnership with care homes, what has mattered most to them throughout the process, and how collaborative approaches can strengthen research and its relevance to people’s lives.
Our partnership is underpinned by an ethic of care and inspired by the principles of the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project (DEEP). Looking ahead, Katie will also discuss exciting future plans for the group and opportunities to continue developing participatory approaches within health and care research.
Whether you are already involving people in research, planning a new project, or simply interested in co-production and participatory methods, this session offers a welcoming space to learn, reflect and discuss your own current or future involvement work.
About the speaker
Katie Zwerger-Catley is a Research Associate in Health Services Research and Knowledge Mobilisation Champion for the Delivering Care Closer to Home theme within YH ARC. She is a qualitative researcher with interests in older adults’ experiences of health and social care, appropriate hospital admission avoidance, ageing and social care futures, and the use of creative and participatory research methods.