Feasibility and acceptability of NIDUS-Professional, a training and support intervention for homecare workers caring for clients living with dementia: a cluster-randomised feasibility trial protocol

Abstract

IntroductionMost people living with dementia want to remain living in their own homes, and are supported to do so by family carers and homecare workers. There are concerns that homecare is often unable to meet the needs of this client group, with limited evidence regarding effective interventions to improve it for people living with dementia. We have developed a training and support programme for homecare workers (NIDUS-Professional) to be delivered alongside support sessions for people living with dementia and their family carers (NIDUS-Family). We aim to assess (1) its acceptability among homecare workers and employing agencies, and (2) the feasibility of homecare workers, people living with dementia and their family carers completing the outcomes of intervention in a future randomised controlled trial.Methods and analysisThis is a cluster-randomised (2:1) single-blind, multisite feasibility trial. We aim to recruit 60–90 homecare workers, 30–60 clients living with dementia and their family carers through 6–9 English homecare agencies. In the intervention arm, homecare staff will be offered six group sessions on video call over three months, followed by monthly group sessions over the subsequent three-month period. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline and at six months.Ethics and disseminationThe study received ethical approval on 7 January 2020 from the Camden & King’s Cross Research Ethics Committee. Study reference: 19/LO/1667. Findings will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal, conference presentation and blog to research and clinical audiences; we will attend forums to present findings to participating homecare agencies and their clients.Trial registration numberISRCTN15757555.

Feasibility and acceptability of NIDUS-professional, a training and support intervention for homecare workers caring for clients living with dementia: a cluster-randomised feasibility trial

“…It is a single-blind, multi-site, cluster-randomised (2:1) controlled feasibility trial of NIDUS-Professional intervention for HCW, with delivery of the NIDUS-Family intervention to eligible agency clients and carers. Its protocol is published [ 15 ].…”

“…NIDUS-Professional [ 14 , 15 ] comprises six manualised, 1–1.5 h sessions delivered over 3 months online by two facilitators to groups of 6–8 HCWs, followed by three monthly groups to support them in applying their learning in practice. Sessions, which were provided in a manual to participants, covered specific topics:…”

“…Clients with dementia were invited to complete: the self-reported Dementia Quality of Life (DEMQOL) [ 19 ] and Home Care Satisfaction Measure. Details of measures are in the protocol [ 15 ].…”