The Variation and Determinants of the Admission of Older People to Residential and Nursing Homes in Northern Ireland.

The numbers of people aged 65 and over in Northern Ireland is projected to rise markedly over the next 15 years. This will place additional burdens on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Good evidence-based research will be required for the development of new community care services which this increase in older people will demand, however at the moment evidence on appropriate health and community care for older people is limited. It is known that admissions to nursing and residential homes are about 20% higher in Northern Ireland than in England and that there is significant variation within Northern Ireland. In order to further investigate the issues, the research aims are:

1. To examine the determinants of admission to nursing & residential homes in Northern Ireland
2. To explore the nature and level of variation between and within HSS Trusts.

Publications:

McCann, M., Donnelly, M., and O’Reilly, D. (2012) Gender differences in care home admission risk: partner’s age explains the higher risk for women. Age Ageing, doi: 10.1093/ageing/afs022

McCann, M., Grundy, E., O’Reilly D. (2011) Why is housing tenure associated with a lower risk of admission to a nursing or residential home? Wealth, health and the incentive to keep ‘my home’. J Epidemiol Community Health: 10.1136/jech.2011.200315.

McCann, M., Donnelly, M., O’Reilly, D. (2011) Living arrangements, relationship to people in the household and risk of admission to care homes for older people. Age and Ageing 10.1093/ageing/afr031.

McCann, M., O’Reilly, D. and Cardwell, C. (2009) A Census-based longitudinal study of variations in survival amongst residents of nursing and residential homes in Northern Ireland. Age and Ageing, 38(6): 711-717.

Other Outputs:

NILS Research Brief 7 June 2011: Living arrangements, household relationships and admission to care homes

McCann, M. (2012) ‘Risk Factors for admission to care homes for older people’ – presented at the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study Research Forum, NISRA, McAuley House, 01 June 2012.

McCann, M. (2012) ‘Risk factors for admission to care homes for older people’ – presented at Age Encounters, QUB, 14th December 2012.

McCann, M., O’Reilly, D. (2015) ‘Admission to care homes for older people’ – Research Brief and presentation, presented at the Northern Ireland Assembly Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series, 4th February 2015.