Social Innovation in Ageing, the Challenge of Scalability and Replicability, Netwell 10 Years On
Background: Evidence suggests that social innovation and ‘whole system’ approaches to facilitate greater levels of independence for older people are key to future sustainability of health and social care systems. However, little is known about how to make social interventions in the ageing field scalable and replicable. The aim of this program, introduced in Ireland in 2006 as a longitudinal collaborative experiment between the Health Service, Local Government and an academic partner, the Netwell Centre, was to develop, test and report on a range of service interventions for ageing.
Methods: A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to partner with older adults, health care practitioners, not-for-profit providers and communities.
Results: A total of 1,021 older adults continue to be supported at home through dedicated service brokerage to ensure access to the most appropriate services. Where service gaps are identified, these are filled through community and voluntary collaborations. 54 volunteers provide weekly home visits to the most vulnerable. 48 volunteers provide a daily telephone information service, making an average of 100 calls per day. 338 older men regularly participate in non-formal learning activities in Men’s Sheds. 124 older women attend weekly social groups. 20 families receive dementia support, including one-to-one communication and care-giving training. 240 older adults from community groups and nursing homes attend a social event every 6 weeks to grow and maintain social networks.
Conclusions: Ten years on, our evidence suggests that while many of the elements of a whole system approach can be replicated, this is dependent on community vitality and ensuring the 3rd sector is properly engaged with service delivery partners.