Policy impact

In common with other New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) projects, the research team is maintaining a focus on the impact of the research and making effective use of being part of the NDA research programme. We aim to provide much needed information for older people and their families, for health and social care professionals and for policy-makers.

It is hoped and anticipated that the research will:

• Contribute to a better understanding of dignity. Within policy debates, perceptions of dignity in relation to the end of life are wide-ranging, and it is important that the voices of older people, who are facing the end of life at a near but uncertain time, are heard.
• Through reporting the first-hand accounts of participants’ experiences of support and care, raise awareness amongst policy-makers and practitioners of the links between services.
• Capture the changes in health that participants experience over time and highlight how they perceive these changes and adapt to them. It is hoped that this will inform policies on long term care and end of life care.

We want to ensure that our research influences policies and services about older people’s health and wellbeing. With this aim in mind, we will disseminate the findings of this research to the widest possible audience, to lay people and service users as well as to professionals and experts.

We will be providing progress reports throughout the study. These will be available on the University of Bristol website as well as by post. At the end of the study, the following outputs are planned:

• A user-friendly report for older people’s organisations
• National policy recommendations regarding service organisation strategies to optimise dignity for older people who need care
• A set of indicators to support the evaluation of best practice.