Many things affect how we live and how we age. For many people aged 65 or over, things like loneliness, financial difficulties and long-term physical health conditions can have a real impact on health and wellbeing.
Social prescribing supports older people by connecting them to services and support to meet these needs. This might be through a Link Worker or equivalent role.
The work we are doing
At NASP, we’re working to increase and improve the social prescribing on offer to older people in the UK.
The National Academy for Social Prescribing, in partnership with Independent Age, commissioned two pilot projects to understand how social prescribing can work to support older people experiencing financial difficulties and health inequalities.
The projects were led by Hastings Voluntary Action and Reaching People in Leicester. Both organisations engaged a diverse range of older people and communities to understand people’s experiences and priorities.
Resources
How social prescribing can support older people living in poverty
NASP, in partnership with Independent Age, commissioned its academic partners to review and summarise the evidence on interventions into poverty affecting the older population.
A guide to co-designing social prescribing initiatives with older people
The two pilot projects for older people’s social prescribing have developed a toolkit. It is designed to help other organisations looking to set up similar initiatives in their own communities.
Training to support older people facing financial hardship
Independent Age is the national charity focused on improving the lives of people facing financial hardship in later life. Their experts provide free training to professionals working with older people without enough money to live on.
The courses offered give an overview of key benefits for older people, so that attendees feel more confident in talking to older people about what they might be entitled to.
All courses are virtual and delivered through Microsoft Teams. Current courses include:
- Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and using an online benefits calculator (1.5 hours)
- Carer’s Allowance (45 minutes)
- Council Tax: discounts and disregards (45 minutes)
For more information about what each session includes and to sign up for one that suits you, visit Independent Age’s training webpage.
You can also sign up for Independent Age’s newsletter for professionals to be kept up to date on new training courses and other information relevant to supporting older people in financial hardship.
The Power of Music
Many studies have shown the benefits of music for our health and wellbeing, especially in supporting people living with conditions like dementia. Music projects can play a key role in social prescribing, with link workers connecting people to groups and activities in their area and beyond.
