Eothen Homes Partners with Newcastle University

Eothen Homes Partners with Newcastle University to Champion Research in Dementia and Later Life Care

Eothen Homes is proud to announce its partnership with Newcastle University through the Care and Research North East initiative – a pioneering research-practice partnership that aims to place research at the heart of care home life.

Care & Research North East is one of three new Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) in the care home sector, as part of a national project funded by NIHR. The RPP model focusses not only on research informing practice but also on practice informing research, improving the use and usefulness of research.

As a registered charity dedicated to providing high-quality care for older people, Eothen Homes is delighted to be working alongside one of the UK’s leading universities to further improve care practices and ensure residents receive support that is both compassionate and evidence-based.

This exciting collaboration is centred around the co-creation of research that reflects the real-world experiences of residents, relatives, and care staff. The partnership is designed to make research more meaningful and accessible care home teams, residents, families and academics to work together to address some of the most pressing challenges in residential and dementia care.

At Eothen, we are committed to a Christian ethos where everyone is valued and treated with dignity. Our dementia care home, based on the ‘Butterfly Household Model of Care’, focuses on creating a small household environment where residents feel loved, needed and truly at home. This ethos, along with our relaxed, relationship-focused approach to care, makes Eothen Homes a natural partner in this innovative research journey.

Staff and residents enjoy a relaxed atmosphere where connections flourish, and where routines are shaped around individuals rather than the other way around. Through our involvement in the partnership, we hope to share and enhance this model of person-centred care.

Speaking about the partnership, a representative from Eothen Homes said:

“We see this as a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the care we offer through collaboration and learning. Our residents, staff and families are at the heart of everything we do, and we’re excited to be part of shaping the future of care home research in a way that truly reflects their voices and experiences.”

The project recognises that care homes are not just places of care but communities full of life, stories, and wisdom. By bringing research into these communities in a respectful and collaborative way, it aims to bridge the gap between academic study and lived experience.

Eothen Homes looks forward to the next stage of this partnership, working alongside Newcastle University to inspire innovation, promote best practice, and ultimately enrich the lives of older people across the region.

For more information about the partnership click here.