It is well accepted that as people age their social worlds often shrink. Additionally, living in an aged care facility can disrupt people’s social worlds, resulting in loneliness, isolation and misery for many. Being connected, having a positive identity, continuing to contribute to the fabric of society are essential to positive healthy ageing, increased life expectancy and overall life satisfaction fundamental to wellbeing. As such, a whole of population approach focussing on social networks and relationships is a move towards social and collective responsibility for the wellbeing of our increasingly ageing population. To achieve this requires a re-imagination of aged services and communities to embrace network centred care and improve our elders wellbeing and enjoyment of life.
The 10k initiative was an innovative community development and network centred approach to aged care and was a collaboration between Southern Cross Care, The GroundSwell Project and Western Sydney University. The study took place in an aged care facility in the Western Suburbs of Sydney NSW. The goal of the project was to develop an effective community development model for the aged care sector with applicability to residential aged care. Methods involved social network mapping, interviews and focus groups with residents, families, staff and community members before, during and after placement of an embedded community development worker. This report documents the identified barriers and opportunities associated with a community development model. New knowledge has been generated detailing what is required to address our elders shrinking social worlds and to increase their overall wellbeing through maintaining and expanding social networks and relationships while they are living in an institutionalised setting
