5 Healthy Ageing Challenges
How we are tackling healthy ageing challenges:
Design for Age Friendly Homes & Independent Living
Peoplehood is working alongside the Architects Lewis & Hickey to understand, test and discover new ways of looking at design for age friendly homes and homes for independent living. To achieve our goal of being at the forefront of design for age friendly home & Independent living we will be producing two new design guides one for new builds and one for adaptations. To do this we will be conducting co-design sessions to find out from (potentially) you what’s your experience of new built homes or adapted homes? This paired with the combined professional know-how of Lewis & Hickey and Blackwood we hope to be at the cutting edge of design leadership information for age friendly and independent homes.
The testing component of this work is based on two live projects which both Blackwood, Peoplehood and Lewis & Hickey are conducting. We are building 66 new homes in the Charleston area of Dundee; these homes will be allocated to people in the most need of homes which can adapt to help with the daily tasks of living. Peoplehood will be developing and testing new innovative technologies within these homes as part of the research into new ways of aiding in an independent life. Peoplehood will also be looking at retrofitting and adapting homes within your neighbourhood to test out new technologies and adaptations within an existing home to further endeavour to gain more knowledge on how to effectively allow people to live at home independently for longer.
Sustaining Physical Activity
Physical Activity is about moving more to benefit your health. By moving what we can, when we can, we will reduce our chances of ill health and improve our wellbeing.
Our bodies are designed to move and react in a positive way when we move. Try to reduce your sedentary behaviour by standing up regularly. If you are unable to stand then move about in your chair regularly. Moving and standing helps to reduce stiffness in joints, can help with aches and pains and helps to build strength.
Regular physical activity is good for your health and fitness. Find something you enjoy doing. We have programmes and activities to try in your local community and ways to be active at home. These are based around activities that will help reduce your risk of falls and help you with independence.
Physical inactivity is the fourth biggest global reason for preventable death.
Creating Healthy and Active Places
Placemaking is a key part of our communities and in turn plays a pivotal part in how healthy and active the members of it can be. Within the premise of placemaking Peoplehood is striving to develop your local environment, provide a sustainable methods of travel and facilitate inclusive access to activities to promote a healthy lifestyle. We at Peoplehood are committed to developing environmental solutions to getting people healthier by being more active. Activity can mean a lot of things to different people and a huge part of these improvements to the environment of your community is looking at inclusive ways for everyone to access to activities suitable for everyone. We want to develop and discover ways of facilitating a more sustainable way of getting around your neighbourhood, partnering with Enterprise to bring EV car clubs to your neighbourhood, we want to find out new ways of reducing cars while still providing access when you need it most.
We want to work with you, through co-design, to identify, design and implement solutions which make your community somewhere you feel comfortable and motivated to get active and improve your health.
Supporting Social Connections
- Our My Life game app will encourage users to be more physically, mentally and socially active
- Our Value Exchange matches vetted volunteers with the skills and/or time to people requiring help with daily tasks. Everyone has something to offer and can benefit from being part of their Peoplehood.
- Our Personal Data Store allows Peoplehood Members to manage who has access to their personal information
- Peoplehood will ensure all members have a digital tablet, are set up with a CleverCogs™ account and access to the internet
- Volunteer Digital Champions to help Members learn how to use digital tech
Managing Common Complaints of Ageing
- Using data from smart electric meters, Peoplehood’s Lifestyle Alerts System sends text notifications to family, friends and/or volunteers if an elderly or vulnerable person is unusually inactive
- The Peoplehood 24/7 Digital Responder Service offers video-chat with trained professionals to help combat anxiety, isolation and loneliness
- Using data from these initiatives to be proactive on healthy ageing
If you are interested in anything within this please don’t hesitate to get touch, sign up to be part of the project and get stuck into everything Peoplehood can offer. Just email getinvolved@blackwoodgroup.org.uk