New scheme to help older people stay in their own home

The Safe and Well project, which has already been piloted with great success, is now to be extended to cover the Down and Lisburn areas, with funding from Big Lottery Fund and other bodies.

It helps older isolated people to remain living at home for as long as possible by adopting a partnership approach to address their health and social well being needs. It will focus on those, aged 65 and over, who live in the Down and Lisburn Council areas as these two areas are expected to see some of the highest percentage increases in older residents in future years.

The idea is that by improving the health and well being of these older people it helps ensure they retain independence and good quality of life for as long as possible.

The organisers of the project say that community connections and good neighbours have, in some areas, become a casualty of the fast pace of modern life. Yet as more people opt to stay in their own home as they become older, a local support network is essential to prevent loneliness and social isolation.

The project will provide information and referral to a range of social support services to anyone over 65 who is experiencing social isolation. A key element will be the inclusion in the project of older people who are experiencing good health becoming involved as volunteers, and creating their own social connections.

The Safe and Well Project (Down and Lisburn Areas) has been funded for the next five years with a grant of nearly 1 million from the Big Lottery Fund's Safe and Well programme, with further funding from Investing for Health, Public Health Agency and the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP).

The project is managed by the Safe and Well Partnership Board with representation from South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Investing for Health, Public Health Agency, Age NI, Voluntary Services Lisburn, East Down Rural Community Network and the Aged Sector Platform

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