The global pandemic has shone a light on care homes and the additional challenges people working and living in the care home environment face. However, it has also shown a large number of undeniable gaps in the evidence base, with care home residency often excluding people from research opportunities.

ENRICH SCOTLAND, or Enabling Research in Care Homes, engages a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to better understand the lived experience of residents in care homes. The initiative is aimed at filling a very real gap in research conducted in care homes with residents and staff.

ENRICH Co-Chairs, Dr. Emma Law and Dr. Rosalie Ashworth have focused their work on educating others and raising the profile and importance of care home research; building support among peers; and supporting research study development with assistance from “clinical study officers.” In Scotland, 300 care homes have signed up to be “research ready” ensuring that the research conducted meets the gold standard for ethics—a tremendous pool of potential research venues.

ENRICH has created a public-facing initiative called Research in Care Homes (RICH) Voices to spotlight their work and findings to reach a broad audience. RICH Voices is a group of people with lived experience, staff, and members of the public with an interest in the area. The group advocates for inclusion and participation in research decisions taken around care home. It has also co-created learning tools such as accessible information about the research experience and how to get involved, as well as collaborating with the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network’s Partners in Research on a funding proposal for raising public awareness.

RICH provides an opportunity to build relationships and programs based on what the residents and staff want. Research is funded on a year-by-year basis and thus, it is imperative that aged care organizations disseminate care research and share their expertise to influence policy and practice. One participant stated, “Given how much long-term care and care homes have changed and will change as models of care advance, this is such an interesting and useful topic.”

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