The strategy titled "Promoting social connections and inclusion" aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness among older adults. It focuses on building resilience and resources through various community outreach programmes. For example, it suggests partnering with local organisations to address gaps in social services and developing volunteer programmes to support older adults with errands and social visits. Community events and technology workshops are also part of this approach to promote engagement.
Another strategy within this plan is to enhance accessibility to social activities, ensuring older adults have transport options and venues host senior-friendly events. This might include facilitating interest-based clubs or offering senior-specific fitness classes. Regular assessments tailor activities to the health and mobility needs of participants.
Additionally, leveraging technology for virtual engagement is a key component. This involves creating a user-friendly online platform for virtual gatherings, hosting tech support sessions, and offering discounted devices to older adults. By enhancing digital literacy through workshops, the plan ensures that older adults can engage and connect online safely and effectively.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Establish community outreach programmes
- Identify local organisations focused on elderly care to partner with
- Conduct community needs assessments to identify gaps in social services
- Develop a volunteer programme to support older adults with errands and social visits
- Organise regular community events aimed at older adults to encourage socialisation
- Recruit local businesses to sponsor events and provide resources
- Create a community resource guide for older adults
- Establish a senior buddy system pairing older adults with community volunteers
- Implement technology workshops to assist older adults with virtual connectivity
- Schedule regular follow-ups with participating older adults to evaluate programme effectiveness
- Promote the programme through local media and community bulletins
⛳️ Strategy 2: Enhance accessibility to social activities
- Conduct surveys to identify preferred activities among older adults
- Coordinate with local transportation providers to create accessible travel options
- Establish a network of local venues that can host senior-friendly events
- Create a calendar of events specifically targeted at older adults
- Develop partnerships with local fitness centres to offer senior-specific classes
- Launch an incentivised programme to encourage participation in social activities
- Integrate intergenerational activities to foster connections across age groups
- Facilitate interest-based clubs or groups such as book clubs or gardening societies
- Regularly assess health and mobility needs to tailor activities appropriately
- Provide training for staff and volunteers on older adult engagement and support
⛳️ Strategy 3: Leverage technology for virtual engagement
- Conduct surveys to determine technological capabilities and needs of older adults
- Develop an easy-to-use online platform for virtual social events
- Host regular online meetups or interest-focused discussion groups
- Provide tutorials and tech support for using video chat applications
- Collaborate with tech companies to supply discounted or donated devices
- Implement a mentoring programme pairing tech-savvy individuals with older adults
- Offer online safety workshops to educate on digital literacy and security
- Facilitate virtual tours of museums, parks, and other places of interest
- Create an online library of resources and activities accessible to older adults
- Run monthly evaluations to gather participant feedback and improve virtual offerings
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
