Research Projects

The purpose of groundbreaking research is to ensure that we are always providing the best possible care for our service users. Because of the size of our organisation, other research groups also look to assess their research developments with our service users.

It is the role of the Ethics group to review and monitor all applications for research within strict and thorough criteria and with the best interests of our service users at the forefront.

Here are just some of the projects that we believe have made a significant contribution to our knowledge and therefore our practices at Southern Cross.

Hypnotherapy and Dementia

Drs Duff and Nightingale have been researching the use of hypnotherapy with people with dementia for 4 years. Their work has culminated in three publications, 2 in the European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis and 1 in Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly in Chicago. A specific course to teach clinicians this technique has been developed and research remains an integral component of future development.

Same Gender Living Environments

Churchfield Court in Nottingham is in the process of putting together a research project that will look at the value of providing same gender living environments. This project aims to demonstrate that all men, or all women living environments have a positive impact on their overall wellbeing.

Quality of Life

Yvonne Woodward is putting together a project to investigate subjective experience of quality of life. Fifteen service users with dementia at Treelands Care Centre in Oldham will be interviewed. Yvonne will ask about their identity, activity and social interaction, and hope to identify what is most important to the individual. Analysis will involve IPA which is a qualitative research methodology. This allows important themes, and the connections between them to be identified.

Ongoing Research

The Ethics committee have recently approved a research project submitted by Professor Clive Ballard and his colleague Professor Burns. They are looking at the beneficial effects of aromatherapy as measured against donepezil to help manage anxiety as experienced by people with dementia.