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COMMUNITY RESEARCH

What does it involve?

Age Concern Northwest Cumbria has developed a new approach to gaining the views of older people and undertaking meaningful evaluation of older people's services - through the use of volunteer community researchers.

Volunteers are trained to collect the views of older people in an very informal and chatty way, listening to and noting their comments. We find that we gain very valuable viewpoints from these interviews, which other survey methods do not reveal.

Volunteers usually work about three hours a week during a research project. Projects usually last a month and we plan to undertake around three or four projects per year.

Who does it help?

The service is offered to outside agencies which provide services for older people. In the last year, projects have been completed for:

• Care Sector Alliance Cumbria. 27 older people were interviewed who had help from carers in both Residential Homes and their own homes. This study focussed on how the carers delivered care and how their training could be further improved

• Adult Social Care (Cumbria County Council) . With St Martins College undertook a survey of integrated care team working. 25 older people in the Millom and Wigton areas were interviewed

• Copeland Borough Council.  Undertook a survey of the quality of life for older people in South Whitehaven.  19 older peole in the area were interviewed

For more information

Contact our Research Co-ordinator on: 01946 66669