Research interests
Recent and current research studies on ageing.
Southampton Mealtime Assistance Roll Out Trial (SMART) 2014 - 16
The Southampton Mealtime Assistance Study, funded by the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, evaluated the introduction of trained volunteer mealtime assistants to help older patients on Medicine for Older People wards at lunchtime. We showed that it was feasible to recruit and train volunteers to assist patients safely including help with eating. Patients, relatives, ward staff and the volunteers reported that the quality of mealtime care was improved by the introduction of the volunteers. We then studied the implementation of mealtime volunteers more widely in four different clinical areas within University Hospital Southampton, supported by the NIHR CLAHRC: Wessex. This study demonstrated that volunteers provided high quality mealtime care, were highly regarded by patients, relatives and staff, and released nurses for clinical tasks. This programme has now been adopted by the hospital and recognised as a national exemplar by HelpForce which campaigns for more volunteers in the NHS.
See the Wessex NIHR website for more details of this and other studies.
Southampton Mobility Volunteers Study (SoMoVe) 2015 - 18
Older people often have very low levels of physical activity in hospital, which can lead to a loss of independence. Building on our experience of the impact of volunteers helping older people at mealtimes, we studied the feasibility and acceptability of volunteers helping older patients in hospital maintain and improve their physical activity. This work was supported by the NIHR CLAHRC: Wessex. We have produced recommendations on how to measure physical activity of older people in hospital; exercise and training programmes that are safe and practical; and shown that the volunteers were appreciated by the patients. This programme is also adopted by University Hospital Southampton and is an exemplar for HelpForce. Research will now focus on developing community mobility volunteers.
Grip Strength Measurement Implementation Study (GRImP) 2015 - 17
Low grip strength is central to the diagnosis of sarcopenia (loss of muscle strength, function and mass with older age), and is a recognised marker of poor current and future health. Grip strength is often measured in research studies but is not used in clinical practice. This study evaluated the implementation of routine grip strength measurement on Medicine for Older People wards, supported by the NIHR CLAHRC: Wessex. We found that grip strength was simple to measure and could be adopted into routine ward assessments, to identify those patients who would benefit from increased attention to their diet and physical activity. This finding is highly relevant as low grip strength was recommended in 2018 to be the main diagnostic feature of sarcopenia in clinical settings.
Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study 2012 - 17
This study aimed to determine the lifecourse nutrition and lifestyle influences on sarcopenia in community dwelling older people and to identify the epigenetic, cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the observed associations between nutrition, lifestyle and sarcopenia. The study is funded by the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, and research continues into biomolecular markers of sarcopenia.
Acute Hospital Care for Frail Older People (HOW-CGA) 2014 - 17
This multicentre study funded by the NIHR HS&DR programme aimed to identify markers of frailty in older people admitted to acute care and which models of care are effective and cost effective. Research partners were the Universities of Leicester, Newcastle, Sheffield and the Nuffield Trust. The study team developed a Hospital Frailty Risk Score derived from routine data, and the results were published in the Lancet (Gilbert T et al 2018). Other outputs include a national survey of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and toolkits to develop CGA practice in a wide range of hospital departments. Details are available at the BGS website.
Screen and Treat for Malnutrition (STREAM) Programme 2016 - 21
I am a co-applicant on this study funded by NIHR PGfAR and led by Professor Paul Little which aims to establish the role of oral nutritional supplements for malnourished community dwelling older people.
Fortified foods for older people 2017 - 18
This study aimed to evaluate the use of fortified foods for older patients in hospital in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Reading. It was funded by the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. Data analysis is almost complete and we will report the results later in 2019.
Southampton Arm Fracture Study 2019 – 2021
This study will test the best way to measure frailty and sarcopenia among older people attending fracture clinics with an arm fracture. We will estimate how common these conditions are and how best to manage them in this group. This study is supported by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.
Current research in Parkinson’s
PDSAFE 2013 - 17
This multi-centre randomised controlled trial compared a novel personalised physiotherapy treatment with usual care, and was funded by the NIHR HTA programme. The intervention did not reduce falling overall but did show reduced falls rate and improved physical function among those with moderate rather than advanced disease severity.
Improved understanding of disease-specific critical events causing crisis in mental health and neurological conditions. 2014 - 17
This study aims to identify events triggering change in care requirements in community dwelling people living with chronic neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, and is supported by NHS England.
Implementing a self management guide for people with Parkinson’s who fall and their carer. 2016 - 19
This study is developing and evaluating a self- management guide in partnership with people with Parkinsons’s and their carers. This work is supported by the NIHR CLAHRC: Wessex.
First Steps. 2017 - 18
This study is evaluating a programme for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s, in partnership with people with Parkinson’s and the Universities of Oxford and Oxford Brookes. The programme is designed and delivered by people with Parkinson’s. This work is funded by Parkinson’s UK.
Optim park 2019 – 2022
Optimization of community resources and systems of support to enhance the process of living with Parkinson´s Disease: a multi-sectoral intervention (funded by EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative disease research).
This study is a partnership between Universities and national Parkinson’s organisations in Spain, Norway, Denmark and Cyprus, led by Southampton. This project aims is to enhance the process of living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) for the person with PD and the family-carer by building multi-sectoral care pathways, with a special focus on how to optimize the use of resources and systems of support in the community.
Recently completed postgraduate student supervision:
4 PhD students
2 DM students
2 MSc students
2 MPhil students
1 Parkinson’s UK Career Development Fellow
Current postgraduate student supervision:
Charlotte Owen DM
Esther Clift DClinP
Veena Agarwal PhD
Milly Heelan PhD
Natalie Cox PhD
Department(s)
Human Development and Health
Affiliate Department(s)
Human Development and Physiology
Professor Helen RobertsAcademic Geriatric Medicine, Mailpoint 807, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD
Room Number: SGH/CE118/MP807
Telephone:(023) 8120 4354
Facsimile:(023) 8120 6134
Email:H.C.Roberts@soton.ac.uk
