Cairdeas Camp le Cheile. Combating rural isolation and improving quality of life of seniors .

Description

Cairdeas Camp began as an older persons organisations just as COVID struck and was able to offer walks and companionship under restrictions. We have increased our activities to include indoor bowls and pickleball and are developing flexibility and strength, table tennis and mind games. We want to extend the social particpation in our activities allowing seniors to express their voices and thus be more inclusive. We encourage members to meet up locally and organise activities to promote good physical and mental health and generate more respect for seniors. We expect to reduce the incidence of loneliness, depression and isolation within the rural community and improve the quality of life for seniors.

Aim of Initiative

To improve health of older people to leading to a better quality of life..
We hope to build the resillience of older people towards the increasing changes in modern life and to allow their voices to be heard within the community. We hope to empower older adults through developing and participating their own activities based on their needs and promote respect and inclusion for older adults within the community.

Who is it aimed at

Adults over 50 in the community retired or parttime working and members of other active retired groups who wish to join our activities.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Enlarging the group from its small beginning to include more of the older population in social particpation and inclusion within the initiative. The activities have to be seen as fun and enjoyable as well as giving serious health improvements. Companionship and social meeting are at the core of the initiative which will alleviate loneliness and rural isolation.
2. Communication and publication of the activities planned by the group to the older population in the area inviting them to join us. As traditional means of communication and information sharing are changing this will require innovative ideas to succeed.
3. Engaging with the wider population to enable sharing of facilities within the community such as buildings, equipment and human support where available. Allowing the voices of the older population to be heard with respect by the wider community.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. To overcome the traditional view of old age where a person sits at home by the fireside and is ‘looked after’. People are living longer today and can continue to live their life fully until a much older age. Each year a new cohort of retirement age people arrive and we need to encourage them to join us and welcome them. New blood coming into the organisation will bring new ideas and leaders who to follow ideas through to completion.
2. To keep our members as they age and encourage them to diversify their activities as their mobility and other functions deteriorate. Meeting for company may become more important to some people as they age rather than racing around a pickleball court as they might have done last year. We need the organisation and members to grow together as they age.
3. To encourage members to take responsibility within the the organisation. Its important for the officers and committee to change at regular intervals to keep the organisation fresh and up-to-date. We want to members to come up with new ideas and to have the help of other members in bringing these ideas to fruition. Co-operation between all members and the wider community is essential for the growth of our organisation.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Improved quality of life for older people and an enhanced sense of belonging within their own community. A side effect is a reduction in pressure put on local and central care and support systems.
2. Improved physical health through a range of activities designed for people of different mobility levels particularly assisting flexibility and balance. This will improve the day to day life of older people leading to less falls and will impact on local and central health centres reducing attendance and critical care required.
3. Improved mental health through social participation and inclusion. In a rural area getting people out of their homes helps with mental health by reducing loneliness and increasing physical participation. Physical activity will bring benefits to mental health particularly when accompanied by refreshments and chat. Our mental games activity such as Scrabble, cards, Qwirkle and similar will extend the benefits to mental health.