ActiveCare Communications

Click here to watch the ActiveCare project video

Or download the ActiveCare project flyer

Background - the Transformation of Adult Services

Responding to older and disabled people as individuals, and allowing them to choose the activities that best meet their own individual interests is at the heart of the Government’s strategy as outlined in reports such as “Building a Society for all Ages” and “Putting People First”.

Adult Services is being transformed to offer more personalised services with individuals increasingly choosing their own care package through direct payments and personal budgets. At the same time there is the drive to keep a growing older population healthy and active, and living in their own home wherever possible.

These trends all mean that older people will be looking for new opportunities to remain active and mobile - following their own personal interests rather than relying on a fixed set of services and activities from providers.

The opportunity for Care Providers

Older people will increasingly look to choose those providers who can provide flexibility and innovation in providing activities that match their own specific needs.

This offers an opportunity for care providers, whether they are running care homes, sheltered housing, or providing home care services, to develop new services to help their clients remain active and healthy whilst following their own unique areas of interest

The importance of Travel as an enabler

Concessionary travel for older and disabled people is a key enabler in staying active and keeping in touch.

Being able to get out and about is one of the most effective ways to reduce social isolation and exclusion. Not only through  outbound trips, but also to encourage inbound visits so that friends and relatives can visit older people who have become less mobile, whether they are living in a Care Home or living at home

Purpose

Using travel as the enabler, the project aims to develop the skills of care providers in Surrey to encourage inbound and outbound trips to keep older and disabled people active and in touch with friends and family.

All types of care are included -  those living in care homes, sheltered accommodation as well as those living at home either independently or receiving care or personal assistant support

Keeping Active in Care

Care providers are working with older people to suggest places to go and things to do, helping to plan trips to those destinations and where necessary taking part in accompanied trips.

They are creating an on line library of suggested trips and activities and provide feedback and ratings on the featured trips. The growing on line ActiveCare trip library   contains not only outbound trips but stories on inbound visits and activities with friends and families and the positive impact these have had in reducing isolation. The aim is to capture the personal experiences - where they went and what they thought of it.

The library is searchable by Care Provider so it provides a platform for each Care Provider to promote the work they are doing to help older and disabled people to remain active. The goal is to share experiences  through the trip library on great places to go, so that other people are inspired to remain active.