Intergenerational practice

and your health

Fiona Borrowman and

Helen Ryall

Session Aims

• Describe NHS Health Scotland and the health inequalities challenge

• Describe the aim of the paper that NHS Health Scotland and Generations Working Together agreed to do together

• Discuss the evidence of IP for health collated and describe the call to action

• Share sources of support for evaluation• Showcase three intergenerational health projects

NHS Health Scotland

• National Health Board – responsible for improving the heath of Scotland’s population and tackling health inequalities.

• Work covers every aspect of Health Improvement – from gathering evidence, to planning, delivery and evaluation, and spans the range of health topics, settings and life stages.

“A FAIRER HEALTHIER SCOTLAND” 2012-2017

Inequality in Health

NHS HS and GWT

• Agreed to look at the evidence for IP to improve health and share with others

• Encourage further development of evidence of intergenerational practice in improving health and active ageing

• Wendy Macdonald, Public Health Adviser reviewed existing literature from the UK and further afield

Drivers for IP• All our futures: Planning for a Scotland with an

Ageing population (2007)

• The Treaty of Lisbon

• The EU designated 2012 as the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between generations

• LTCAS held an Active ageing conference and produced 12 propositions of active ageing

FindingsNumber of definitions of intergenerational practice.

“IP aims to bring people together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities which promote greater understanding and resect between generations and contributes to building more cohesive communities. IP is inclusive, building on the positive resources that the younger and old have to offer each other and those around them”

Centre for Intergenerational Practice, Beth Johnson Foundation, 2009

FindingsLarge body of literature on IP

• Much of the available literature is from the USA - most does not address effectiveness

• 2 reviews in the UK – both concluded the evidence for effectiveness is weak

Call to action!• Consistency and clarity about how we define IP• Need a focus on health inequalities – are we

targeting the right people?• Need more evaluation to inform future policy and

practice• Need to demonstrate the effectiveness and credibility

of the approach• Need further clarity and guidance about how we can

use IP in health settings

® NHS Health Scotland

NHS Health Scotland

However….• IP has the potential to

generate positive outcomes

• For individuals - Increased feelings of understanding, friendship and confidence, renewed feelings of self-worth, reduction in loneliness and isolation, increased self-esteem & gaining skills

And• For communities – community cohesion, volunteering opportunities, mutual understanding

• ‘How do you know Intergenerational Practice works’ and ’Evaluating Intergenerational Projects’ available at www.scotcip.org.uk

• LEAP- a manual for Learning Evaluation And Planning www.scotland.gov.uk/publications

• Evaluation Support Scotland www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk

• Evaluation guides aimed at improving standards in the evaluation of mental health improvement www.healthscotland.com/mental-health-publications.aspx

Support for evaluation

Making ChNext stepsange Happen• Final stages of finishing the evidence paper• Would like to showcase case studies of

Intergenerational health projects that have been evaluated

• If interested, get in touch with Fiona (fiona.borrowman@nhs.net) or Helen (helenryall@nhs.net)

Intergenerational Health projects

• Walk in our Shoes – Christine McArthur (NHS co-ordinator prevention

and management of Falls)– Gwen Harrison (Community Resilience coordinator,

Argyll Voluntary Action• Tablets are good for your health

– Cathy Gormal (Info and E-learning Development Officer, Renfrewshire Libraries)

• Go for gold Challenge– Bob Laventure (BHF National Centre for Physical

activity and Health)