Project background

We worked with members of the team at The SCRiPT Study, University of Hertfordshire, to create this animation, showcasing the results of their extensive research into the experiences of adult social care received by older people returning home after being in hospital.

The aims of this animation were to encourage and celebrate the great practice going on within adult social care, as well as shining a light on areas where older people may feel their care might not suit their needs, whilst also offering examples of ways in which care can be both improved and made simpler.

Creating the animation

During the storyboarding process, artist Rosie used some of the real-life anonymised examples from The SCRiPT Study’s research to inspire the characters and the activities shown on-screen throughout the animation.

Examples include an elderly lady involved in the research group who expressed that she missed going line dancing and being involved in her walking group; another participant suggested that he wanted to start playing chess again, as a way of improving his mental health and wellbeing.

Using real-life examples creates a solid, authentic foundation upon which the messages of the animation are based, making the film feel more relatable to the audience in their working lives, as well as being true to the lived experiences of the older people receiving care.

To add to this, it also felt important that the home environments of the characters felt true to life. Rosie worked with the team (of which members had extensive experience of caring for their elderly relatives) to add little details that truthfully reflect the home environments of older people returning from hospital, such as rising recliner chairs, having a hospital bed in the living room, and boxes/bags of medication throughout the home. These recognisable elements reflect the experiences of the audience and add depth to the character’s stories in the film.

Post-launch

On launching the animation, we received some great client feedback:

“I worked with CC Animation Studio on producing a video for the findings of our research project, exploring older people's experiences of leaving hospital. From start to finish, they were professional and supportive, making the process really easy to understand. They also made considerable efforts to accommodate our timescale, which was very much appreciated.

The end product looks fantastic, we could not be happier. I would highly recommend working with them, especially if you are looking to produce a video about health and social care research!” 

Toby Connell
Research in Practice Lead (The SCRiPT Study, East of England Research Partnership)
Norfolk County Council / University of Hertfordshire

Further information

See scriptstudy.org for more information about the research.