LESS COVID-19: lessons from the frontline

Learning by Experience and Supporting the Care Home Sector during the COVID-19 pandemic: Key lessons learnt, so far, by frontline care home and NHS staff

Back in October, the National Care Forum (NCF), the leading representative organisation for not-for-profit social care providers, and the University of Leeds published the findings from research into the experiences of frontline care home and NHS staff caring for older people with COVID-19 in the first few months of the pandemic.  The report – LESS COVID:  Learning by Experience and Supporting the Care Home Sector during the COVID-19 pandemic – provides an account of key lessons learnt, so far, by frontline care home and NHS staff.

Funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, this project worked directly with frontline care home staff and frontline NHS staff to capture the lessons they have learnt about the symptoms, progression and management of COVID-19 in older people (aged over 65 years) in England.

The research initiated by the NCF presents helpful strategies to manage the care and support of older people in care homes during subsequent waves of COVID-19 outbreaks. The NCF who were very keen to learn as quickly as possible from the early days of the pandemic and to share this learning to support the sector.

The team has now published a helpful summary of the findings in relation to seven key areas:

Clinical presentation

Unpredictable illness trajectory

Managing symptoms and providing supportive care

recovery and rehabilitation

End of life care

Infection prevention and control

Promoting partnership through cross sector working and support

The research represents an important partnership between the University of Leeds and the National Care Forum, working with care home colleagues, to generate findings with practical relevance.

Download the summary of findings

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