Practical and social interventions
Social interventions support people with other issues that may be impacting their lives, such as housing and employment. This can be just as important to people’s recovery as clinical interventions and can help to address inequalities. For example, SUN Network often hears feedback about how important social connection is to older people’s mental wellbeing.
Previous sections of the mental health needs assessment have covered practical and social support for people of all ages, including support for carers.
Community-centred approaches
Community-centred approaches use assets within communities to promote community health and wellbeing and increase people’s control over their health and lives (South et al., 2019). Where older adults are at risk of having poor mental wellbeing, NICE quality standards suggest that they should be offered tailored, community-based physical activity programmes and activities that encourage social participation (NICE, 2016).
Who accesses community-centred approaches?
A national survey carried out for the Care Quality Commission in 2022 looked at the experiences of 4,000 older adults who had used health and social care services in the past 6 months (Lambert et al., 2022). This included questions on organised/group activities that contributed to older adults health and wellbeing:
- 3 in 10 older adults who had accessed health or social care services reported that they took part in groups for exercise or hobbies, 18% volunteered and 16% attended religious activities.
- Almost half (48%) did not take part in any activities that contribute to health and wellbeing.
- Not taking part in any groups or activities was more common among disabled people (54%), daily users of health or social care services (68%), people from lower social grades D and E (60%) and those living in the most deprived areas (56%). Note that many of these groups overlap.
Feedback collected by the SUN Network highlights that some older people face barriers to accessing activities:
- There is not equitable provision of council funded day centres across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Practical barriers, such as a lack of accessible toilets and limited public transport, can prevent people from accessing services. In particular, people with mobility issues report feeling ‘left behind’ by services.
- People who face digital exclusion may not be aware of what services are available or how to access them. There is consistent feedback that people do not know where services are.
What support is available in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough?
There is a wide range of community-based activities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, ranging from lunch clubs, activity groups and faith-based groups. Some of these activities are open to people of all ages, whilst others are specifically aimed at older adults.
Many of these activities are listed on the How Are You (H.A.Y.) website. This website began as H.A.Y. Peterborough and has since expanded to become a family of district sites, one for each of the localities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It provides a support local resource of community assets, addresses barriers to accessing mental health support and provides information to help people to access community activities. It includes activities and support specifically targeted to older people.
Social care
This section is under development.
Voluntary and community sector support
There is a range of voluntary and community organisations that support older adults in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including organisations offering social and practical support.
- For example, libraries in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough provide support for older adults such as access to books, support with digital skills and a ‘library at home’ service which provides a monthly visit and books for people who are unable to visit the library in person.
- There is also a range of hyper-localised community groups, such as lunch clubs and groups based around sports, hobbies and interests.
Some of the largest organisations supporting older people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are Age UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.
Age UK
Age UK provides a wide range of support. During 2022/23, Age UK supported over 15,937 people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and made 87,033 calls to service users. Over this year, (Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, 2023):
- Information and advice services supported over 900 people to claim £1,642,000 in Welfare Benefits
- Practical support services, including the Cambridgeshire Handyperson Service and Hospital Discharge and Admission Avoidance Support Services, helped to promote healthy ageing. For example, over 500 grab rails were fitted in people’s homes.
- A range of social opportunity services, including Telephone Befriending and Friendship Clubs, helped to reduce isolation and loneliness. 7,309 people attended Friendship Clubs.
Alzheimer’s Society
Alzheimer’s Society runs peer support sessions for people with memory problems and dementia, as well as carers, family and friends of people who have been diagnosed with dementia. This includes support for people before they receive a dementia assessment, as well as signposting to other services and support for legal and practical issues.
Hospices
The NHS describes hospice care are holistic support for people with terminal illnesses. Hospices look after the ‘medical, emotional, social, practical, psychological, and spiritual needs’ of people with terminal illness, as well of the needs as their family and carers (NHS, 2022).
Some people may have mental health needs as a result of their terminal illness, whilst others may have already had a mental health condition before developing a terminal illness. This includes people with severe mental illness, who may face barriers in accessing integrated end-of-life care (D. Edwards et al., 2021).
Bereavement support
Older people are more likely to experience bereavement, and in particular the death of a long-term partner and/or someone they cared for. Some people who experience bereavement may be supported by friends and family; whilst others may also benefit from bereavement support services. National research highlights which involved over 4,00 adults and interviewed older people found that (Independent Age, 2021):
- Only 1 in 5 older people who had been bereaved in the past 5 years received information about emotional support after bereavement.
- 12% of older people who sought out support following a bereavement were not able to access it.
- Older people report that that there is not systematic signposting to support for bereavement and that even when people know about support services, they can face barriers to accessing it.
Cruse is a national charity providing bereavement support for people of all ages, including by phone, online and one-to-one in person support. There are branches in Peterborough and Cambridge (covering Fenland and Uttlesford Area). In 2011/22, 296 people self-referred to this service and 295 were referred by health care professionals. 407 people completed treatment.
Additional resources
References
Full list of references is included at the end of this chapter.