Abstract
Background:
Homecare services can support people with dementia to live in their own homes. However, homecare workers in England face low pay, minimal support and training, with few opportunities for career development. Unsurprisingly there is high staff turnover, which reduces care continuity and quality for people affected by dementia. Using science illustration, we sought to co-produce a model of the Dementia Champions role, as a potential solution to overcome some of the sector’s challenges.
Methods:
We invited a diverse group of patient and public involvement (PPI) members, including people affected by dementia, homecare staff, and other key stakeholders, to participate in a co-production workshop. The workshop sought to translate knowledge of the Dementia Champions role across varied care settings, to a model specific to the systemic and organisational structures of the homecare sector. A Science Illustrator visually scribed the workshop, with the aim of encouraging meaningful engagement and learning from the co-production group.
Findings:
Workshop discussions focused on the applicability and transferability of the Dementia Champions role by drawing on PPI members’ knowledge and experience of the homecare sector. Tasks and responsibilities of a Dementia Champion were refined to aid role clarity, and skills and values were prioritised to support services’ recruitment efforts in finding the ‘right’ person for the role. Discussions were visually scribed, and an illustration of the Dementia Champions model was produced, facilitating rich discussions and iterative feedback among the group.
Conclusion:
Involving a Science Illustrator in the co-production workshop was perceived to increase research accessibility for PPI members. The illustration of the co-produced Dementia Champion model will be used in the next phase of the ‘DemChamp’ study, as a visual elicitation tool to facilitate further interviews with homecare staff in understanding perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing the Dementia Champions model in practice.
Homecare services can support people with dementia to live in their own homes. However, homecare workers in England face low pay, minimal support and training, with few opportunities for career development. Unsurprisingly there is high staff turnover, which reduces care continuity and quality for people affected by dementia. Using science illustration, we sought to co-produce a model of the Dementia Champions role, as a potential solution to overcome some of the sector’s challenges.
Methods:
We invited a diverse group of patient and public involvement (PPI) members, including people affected by dementia, homecare staff, and other key stakeholders, to participate in a co-production workshop. The workshop sought to translate knowledge of the Dementia Champions role across varied care settings, to a model specific to the systemic and organisational structures of the homecare sector. A Science Illustrator visually scribed the workshop, with the aim of encouraging meaningful engagement and learning from the co-production group.
Findings:
Workshop discussions focused on the applicability and transferability of the Dementia Champions role by drawing on PPI members’ knowledge and experience of the homecare sector. Tasks and responsibilities of a Dementia Champion were refined to aid role clarity, and skills and values were prioritised to support services’ recruitment efforts in finding the ‘right’ person for the role. Discussions were visually scribed, and an illustration of the Dementia Champions model was produced, facilitating rich discussions and iterative feedback among the group.
Conclusion:
Involving a Science Illustrator in the co-production workshop was perceived to increase research accessibility for PPI members. The illustration of the co-produced Dementia Champion model will be used in the next phase of the ‘DemChamp’ study, as a visual elicitation tool to facilitate further interviews with homecare staff in understanding perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing the Dementia Champions model in practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
| Event | 33rd Alzheimer Europe Conference: New opportunities in dementia care, policy and research - Helsinki, Finland Duration: 16 Oct 2023 → 18 Oct 2023 https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/node/236349 |
Conference
| Conference | 33rd Alzheimer Europe Conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Finland |
| City | Helsinki |
| Period | 16/10/2023 → 18/10/2023 |
| Internet address |
