Cross-ARC expansion of CARE75+ cohort study

The Community Ageing Research Study (CARE75+) (ISRCTN16588124) is a longitudinal study providing observational data and a recruitment platform for research with older people. The study is hosted by Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

Aim and objectives

We aim to expand the CARE75+ cohort study (recruitment target of 2500). It will provide a data resource for researchers and a research platform for additional studies (sub-studies), and in the future it will support randomised controlled trials using a Trials within Cohort (TwiCs) methodology. Specific aims in the next few years include:

  • To study longitudinal frailty transitions and health and social care resource use

  • To provide data for the next iteration of the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) using prognostic modelling (see project : Development and national implementation of eFI-2)

  • Identifying research priorities from the perspectives of older people

  • Investigating the feasibility of future trials of interventions to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life outcomes for older people

  • Providing blood samples for the bio-bank at Ethical Tissue, University of Bradford https://www.bradford.ac.uk/ethical-tissue/ for frailty and ageing research

  • Exploring frailty in rural and coastal areas and how to support people living with frailty in black minority and ethnic communities.

Due to Covid19 pandemic, the study has been implementing a ‘remote’ model of assessment, undertaking consent and assessments by telephone, with options of postal and web-submission data capture (depending on participant preference) https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/11/11/e048524.full.pdf

As of 27th April 2022, 99 people have been recruited to CARE75+ using the remote assessment pathway.

Further contact

Project manager: Lesley Brown, lesley.brown@bthft.nhs.uk