Research Partner, Education for Caregivers of Older Adults with Hip Fracture

Caregivers need help too! Use your personal experience with care-giving as a member of a University of British Columbia research team working to develop an education program for caregivers of older adults.

Open to: Patient partners in the Vancouver area

Lead Organization or Department

Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM), University of British Columbia

Aim

We aim to test the feasibility and acceptability of an education program for caregivers of older adults with hip fracture. Course materials have already been developed and tested in an in-person learning environment. We wish to see if these materials can be successfully adapted for on-line delivery by professionals such as physiotherapists using technology similar to Skype (e.g. Adobe Connect). As a member of the research team, you will work alongside the researchers to continuously evaluate and ensure that the original research plan is working and to shape the direction of the research as it unfolds.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the research partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility

• Experience with being a caregiver in general, preferably for an older adult who has experienced a fall or fracture
• Ability to exchange information using email and word processing software
• Partners should have previously attended a PVN orientation and completed the Volunteer Agreement.

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Number of vacancies: 2-5
• A one-day kick-off meeting of the research team is planned during the week of June 18-22 in Vancouver/North Vancouver (exact location TBD). The meeting will include training about patient-oriented health research provided by the BC SUPPORT Unit.
• Regular video- or teleconference meetings lasting 1 hour will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, approximately every 4-6 weeks. It is not expected that all members attend all meetings. Some pre-reading before meetings may be necessary.
• Commitment – 6-8 months

Reimbursement

Pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. ground transportation and parking) to attend meetings will be reimbursed according to the policies of the University of British Columbia which governs such things as the rate paid for mileage

Background

Researchers at the UBC Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM) have been working with international partners from Spain, Germany and Australia on the development of an educational program for caregivers of people who have experienced hip fracture. Materials that are available in 7 languages have been developed and a toolkit called Fresh Start is available on-line. The current project will examine whether these materials can be delivered successfully in a new way – i.e., by professionals such as physiotherapists in real-time, using technology similar to Skype (e.g. Adobe Connect). The lead researcher here in BC is Dr. Maureen Ashe and you can learn more about her research interests here.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Primary Contact:

Colleen McGavin
Patient Engagement Lead, BC SUPPORT Unit
cmcgavin@bcsupportunit.ca 250-889-2691