NORTHUMBERLAND ‘FISHNets’ACTION RESEARCH EVALUATION

Dr Pam Dawson

Glenda Cook

NORTHUMBERLAND FISHNets

One of 19 first wave ‘Partnerships for Older People Projects’ (POPPs), which aim to develop low level basic services to keep older people at home for longer and prevent or delay hospital admission and the need for residential/nursing home care.Northumberland Care Trust plus partners successfully bid for more than £1m over 2½ years from the Department of Health.Part of a nationwide £60m programme.

FISHNets aims to prevent falls and reduce bed days by helping older people stay

FitInvolvedSafeHealthy

through investment in sustainable community Networks

FISHNets TASK GROUPS

Older people’s partnership board.

Communication.

Education and training.

Accreditation.

Intermediate Care.

Physical activity.

Home environment.

POPPs EVALUATION

LOCAL EVALUATIONS AT EACH POPP PILOT SITE

NATIONAL EVALUATION

Commissioned by the DH to assess value for money and cost savings.

measure impact of POPP on quality of life of older people.

extract the learning from across the sites.

FISHNets LOCAL EVALUATION

Action research evaluationNorthumbria University Research Centre for Health Community and Education Studies (CHESs)

Economic evaluationNewcastle University Centre for Health Services Research (CHSR)

Action research evaluation

Our chosen operational definition of AR

A period of inquiry that describes, interprets and explains social situations while executing a change intervention aimed at improvement and involvement. It is problem focused, context-specific and future-oriented. (Waterman et al 2001)

Action research aims

To map service initiatives/developments arising through FISHNets and ascertain the impact of these initiatives on service design and delivery.

To explore the impact of FISHNets on the health, well being and QoL of older people.

To contribute to organisational learning through the evaluation strategy.

Action research methods

Older people trained as researchers to conduct interviews with their peers.

Schedule for Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life (SEIQoL) to be used for exploring impact of specific interventions

Collaborative learning groups inclusive of stakeholders and older people.

Assessment of achievement of sub group targets.

Action research cycle

Problem identification

Evaluate

Planning

1st action step

Reframe problem and/or amend plan

2nd action step

2nd cycle

1st cycle

Each subgroup’s objectives and proposed outcomes will be integrated into a cyclical process …

leaving FISHNets with a sustainable model for continued development beyond the pilot

Critical incident 1

ETHICS AND RESEARCH GOVERNANCE

Critical incident 2

PARTICIPATION AND POLITICS

Critical incident 3

LOCAL VERSUS NATIONAL EVALUATION