Last Updated on May 5, 2016

NICE has published a new guideline to support older people’s mental wellbeing and independence. The guideline recommends a number of initiatives to help older people become more involved with other people and their communities, in activities that will not only benefit the individual, but wider society as a whole.

Many older people are already involved in activities which maintain or improve their independence and mental wellbeing – around 25% of volunteers in the UK are over aged 60 or older. However, figures from the Campaign to End Loneliness show that between 5% and 16% of people over 65 say they are often or always lonely. The Mental Health Foundation estimates that depression affects 20% of adults aged over 65 living in the community.

There are a range of circumstances that increase the risk of a decline in independence and mental wellbeing for people who are over 65. Those most at risk include carers, people who live alone and have little opportunity to socialise, people who have recently been bereaved, those who have a low income, and people who have recently experienced or developed a health problem or disability.

The new guideline is primarily aimed at local authorities, including those commissioning services, managers, and practitioners with public health as part of their remit.

Recommendations include consideration of:

• Group activities.
• Providing intergenerational activities, such as older people helping with reading in schools, or young people providing older people with support to use new technologies.
• Providing one-to-one activities, such as programmes to help people develop and maintain friendships, including volunteer home visiting programmes, or programmes to learn about how to make and sustain friendships.
• Raising awareness in older people of the value and benefits of volunteering, and encouraging them to volunteer by varying the length and times of volunteering sessions and providing supervision and ongoing support.
• Ensuring staff in contact with older people can identify those most at risk of a decline in their independence and mental wellbeing. This includes being aware that certain life events or circumstances are more likely to increase the risk of decline. For example, older people whose partner has died in the past two years are at risk.

Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care at NICE, said, ‘Ageing affects everyone differently. There are many factors which contribute to someone’s ability to remain independent, avoid loneliness and maintain their mental wellbeing. This new guideline includes advice on putting this into practice, for example by looking at what is already in local areas and how it can be improved – are there any transport difficulties, do the older people know there are activities and services available? There is no one-size-fits-all approach to promote and protect the mental wellbeing and independence of older people.’

The new guideline is be available on the NICE website here.