£1million boost for Agewell Partnership

The award is from the Dunhill Medical Trust’s Involving Many to Prescribe Alternative Care Together (IMPACT) Programme, which aims to deliver a wide range of activities, services and support programmes to at least 1,100 people aged 70 years and over in Mid and East Antrim.

This will be done through up to 13,200 funded “alternative care prescriptions”.

Through Community Partnership Agreements, the services of GP practices, community pharmacists and staff from community-based organisations and public care services will be co-ordinated by local health and well-being hubs. If successful, the project could be rolled out to other local authority areas.

Mayor Audrey Wales said: “This will fund a new programme of community-based care and support for older people. This award is part of the Dunhill Medical Trust’s £4 million Older People’s Care Improvement Initiative, initiated in 2013 for the frailest people in our society.”

MEAAP Project Development Officer Deirdre McCloskey added: “The aim is to pilot a model that supports our local older people’s groups to provide alternative care in the community, by the community, in true partnership with healthcare practitioners and commissioners. Nearly £250,000 of the investment will go towards supporting local older people’s groups to deliver social prescriptions like illness/condition support group work, befriending calls, luncheon clubs, healthy, physical activity and numerous related activities.”