Ageing Better: Learning from our COVID-19 response to enhance future delivery

Introduction

This report explores how the Ageing Better programme adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people aged 50 and over, stay connected and reduce loneliness.

It examines changes to volunteering, community support, digital engagement and partnership working. It highlights lessons that can help strengthen services and communities in the future.

Findings

The report found that Ageing Better partnerships responded quickly and creatively to the challenges of COVID-19. They adapted services from face-to-face delivery to telephone, online and blended approaches. This helped older people stay connected and reducing the risk of loneliness and isolation.

Volunteers played a vital role, providing:

• practical help

• emotional support

• peer-led activities

New systems for recruitment, training and support helped manage growing demand.

The programme showed that telephone support was often the most accessible way to reach older people, while digital tools such as Zoom, Facebook and WhatsApp helped many maintain relationships and join activities. Improving digital access and skills among people over 50 was a key activity for many projects.

Trusted staff, volunteers and community leaders were essential in helping people build confidence, access support and adapt to new ways of connecting.

The report concludes that blended models combining face-to-face, telephone and digital support are likely to be most effective in the future, helping services reach a wider range of people and build stronger, more resilient communities.