Basic demographic data including gender, age and ethnicity were self-reported by the residents. In cases where the participant had difficulty in reading the questionnaire or difficulty in writing down their responses, the participant’s responses were noted by the activities coordinator in each care home in consultation with the participant. Demographic and anthropometric data were not collected on care home staff. Height and weight of each participant were provided by the care homes. Each care home maintained a schedule of weekly height and weight measures to ensure that any changes could be monitored. It was therefore deemed unnecessary to measure the participant’s height and weight again. Each care home used WeightCheck chair scales (WeightCheck, East Sussex, UK) to measure their resident’s weight. These medical grade scales are commonly used to measure the weight of participants who experience difficulty in standing on a standard set of scales. Whilst, the participants of this study did not require chair scales (i.e. they could have stood on a standard set of scales), the chair scale was commonly used in both care homes. In relation to height, Care Home One used a portable Seca 213 stadiometer (Seca Ltd, Birmingham, UK) to measure their residents height whilst Care Home Two used a portable Seca 206 measuring tape (Seca Ltd, Birmingham, UK) which was attached to the wall. Height and weight measurements in both care homes were conducted by trained personnel. Demographic, height and weight data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2010 and descriptive statistics (mean and SD) were calculated for each care home.
Grip strength was measured using a Takei analogue 5001 hand dynamometer (Takei Scientific Instruments, Japan). Prior to the test, each participant was asked to remove hand or wrist jewellery to ensure it was not damaged during testing. The dynamometer was then adjusted with the participant’s dominant hand to ensure that the second joint of the index finger was at a 90 degree angle on the handle. The researcher first demonstrated the correct performance of the test to each participant. Following this demonstration, each participant was then asked to stand to perform the test with their feet hip width apart and their toes pointing forwards. Each participant was instructed to grasp the dynamometer between their fingers and the palm at the base of their thumb and hold the dynamometer at thigh level, in line with the forearm and not touching their body with their elbow straight. When participants were comfortable in this posture, they were instructed to take a deep breath in and then exhale whilst squeezing the dynamometer as hard as they could. Each participant performed
one grip strength test on their dominant and non-dominant hand. The results of these tests were then noted down on data collection forms designed for this study. The data were entered into Microsoft excel 2010 and descriptive statistics (mean and SD) were calculated for each care home. Participants were encouraged to take as much rest as they needed before commencing the next test.
Next, participants completed the 30 second chair stand test. For this test, a chair was provided by each care home. The researcher demonstrated to each participant how to perform the test. Participants were then instructed to sit in the middle of the chair with their hands on the shoulder crossed at the wrist with their feet flat on the floor. When each participant was comfortable in this position, the researcher started the stopwatch and the participant began to stand. The researcher then counted the number of times each participant was able to stand within the 30 seconds. The results of these tests were then noted down on data collection forms designed for this study. One test was performed per participant. The data were entered into Microsoft excel 2010 and descriptive statistics were calculated (mean and SD) for each care home. Participants were encouraged to take as much rest as they required before starting the next test.
The 8 feet up and go test was also conducted. The same chair used in the 30 second chair stand test was also used for this test with a tape measure marking 8 feet on the floor. This was kept to the side of the room to ensure that no participants tripped. The researcher demonstrated to each participant how to perform the test. Each participant was then instructed to sit on the chair with the hands on their lap. A cone was then placed 8 feet away to show the participant where they had to walk to. When the participant was comfortable, the researcher started and timed the test with the participant standing up from the chair, walking to and around the cone at their normal pace and then walking back to the chair to sit down again. Participants were permitted to use a walking aid if required. The results of these tests were then noted down on data collection forms designed for this study. One test was performed per participant. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel 2010 and descriptive statistics were calculated (mean and SD) for each care home.
5.2.5 Data treatment and analysis