Valentine’s Vitality Information morning providing info and talks on health to those aged 55+.

Description

Age Friendly Mayo and Sláintecare Healthy Communities collaborated on a “Valentines Vitality” Information Morning. This free event was hosted in the Great National Hotel in Ballina on Valentines Day. The theme of the event was Health and Wellbeing.
Ballina was chosen as the location; approximately 10% of its population are deemed extremely disadvantaged as per the Pobal deprivation Index 2022. Ballina borders the Sláintecare Healthy Communities pilot area in Mayo. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities is a Department of Health programme to improve the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged communities.
A key aim of the event was to bring together local authority and other health and wellbeing providers (within the Age Friendly Alliance and Sláintecare Task Group) to showcase the diversity of services in Mayo. Partners / contributors included:
• Age Friendly Mayo
• Sláintecare Healthy Communities
• Western Alzheimers
• Age Friendly Healthy Homes
• Mayo Library
• Mayo Arts Dept.
• Mayo Sports Partnership
• HSE Healthy Communities CoOrdinator
• Mayo’s Older People’s Council

Speakers focussed on supports for people to feel connected, accessing services / classes (in person and online), tips on improving brain health, and living independently in our own homes.
The programme was designed to be interactive offering participant opportunities to engage in chair exercises, functional fitness assessments, healthy food sampling, recipe discussions. A panel discussion allowed for questions and answers to all presenters. Feedback on all was captured in an evaluation which was conducted and completed at the end of the event.
Another success of the event was the introduction of the Age Friendly Healthy Homes programme providing opportunity to introduce the new local coordinators to both local services providers and that cohort that may be eligible to avail of the service. Opportunities for self-referral were available on the day.
Information stands representing various services and agencies offering practical advice, i.e.:
1. Age Friendly Mayo (OPC, AF Healthy Homes)
2. Mayo Arts / Arts Squad
3. Home Instead
4. HSE – health Promotion Department
5. Healthy Ireland
6. Mayo County Library
7. Mayo Volunteer Centre
8. Mayo Sports Partnership
9. Mayo Northeast / Sláintecare – “Healthy food made easy” and “I QUIT” (smoking) and Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme
10. Mayo Sligo Educational Training Board
11. Mayo Public Participation Network
12. Integrated Care Programme for Older People
13. Western Alzheimer’s
14. Craoibhín Ballina – over 55’s service
15. Flourish – HSE Social Prescribing Service

CROÍ were also present providing free blood pressure checks and heart monitoring; in some cases immediate appropriate direct referrals to GP’s was recommended.
Mayo Sports Partnership and Sláintecare Healthy Communities have been collaborating and delivering on physical activity programmes specifically targeting older people with chronic illness and or, limited mobility. MSP Physical Activity for Health Officer guided all those present through a functional fitness test and offered opportunity to sign up to most appropriate MSP programmes.
Over 100 people attended the event, and there was 62% return on completed evaluations. The evaluation rated very highly in relation to:
• Overall event
• Presenters / relevant information
• Presentations
Comments included:
• Enjoyed all / lighthearted and easy to understand
• Learning so much support available
• Short presentations(excellent) & the location
• All providers coming together for holistic approach
• Amazed with all the help out there
• Info on the library wasn’t aware of it. The exercise, diet, home improvements everything
• Lots of tips, hope, ideas on how to get involved
Suggestions for improvements included:
• Healthy eating plan was very helpful and could be broadened
• Presentations need larger print – not very readable
Refreshment’s were provided throughout the morning – tea’s / coffee’s, fruit, biscuits followed by lunch for all at close of event. Merchandise and gift bags were provided. Valentines Day was chosen to incorporate “heart” into the theme of building a healthy heart both emotionally and physically.
Jacqueline Kilcullen, Chairperson (new) of Mayo’s Older People’s Council concluded the day. She also spoke of her own lived experience of availing of supports, e.g. she spoke about the advantage of modifying her own home to ensure its accessibility. This actively encouraged those in the room to access services and to continue live independently where possible.
The collaboration between Age Friendly and Sláintecare Health Communities provided the opportunity for shared knowledge, and administration. There is a lot of crossover and similarities between both programme outcomes, this was demonstrated in the range of speakers / advice and topics. Working together builds strong working relationships and encourages partnerships in future projects. The budget element of the morning was also shared. Sharing budget also leads to affording better value for money in relation to venue costs, promotion costs and advertising costs. This broke a small silo within the Local Authority.
Due to the positive feedback from both attendee’s and contributors it was agreed by all to host this as an annual event and rotate around the County.

Aim of Initiative

The aim was to bring information on Health and Wellbeing from various supports and services to those aged 55+. It was also an opportunity for social connection and engagement. It is also anticipated to build on this type of event by hosting again next year but work towards improving even further and maximise on attendee’s and information.

Who is it aimed at

Those aged 55+

3 Steps critical to success

1. Good collaboration and partnership between Age Friendly Mayo and Slaintecare Healthy Communities with clear roles / resources / tasks / budget defined from outset. Regular planning meetings to endure all was on-schedule with final debrief session to bring to next event.
2. Community and stakeholder engagement.
   Participation from Age Friendly Alliance members and members of OPC was critical to promotion of the event, ensuring that voices were heard. This was through ideas for event, best location, content, promotion, advertising.
3. Providing an interactive, information event maximising on input from both attendee’s and contributors. Relevant information for cohort attending. Open Q &A feedback, easy pratical exercise demonstrations.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Choosing a central location, and agreeing a suitable location because of the size of Mayo. The Grand National was ideal in terms of being fully accessible with adequate parking etc., however fully accessible venues are not always easy to source and could prove to be a challenge for rotating around the County.
2. Transport to the event from other towns, we will consider providing small grants to access group transport to event. The event began at 11 to try to facilitate local transport services (TFI and Local Link Services)
3. Every effort was made to advertise event to all, we would prefer a more gender balanced attendance. Only two men attended this event even though every effort was made to promote amongst mens groups, e.g. Mens Shed were actively approached (in person) to attend.
   Wtih regard ethnic breakdown of Ballina every effort was made to invite and encourage members of traveller community and ethnic minoritities to attend, neither of these cohorts were represented. We will work on this for next year.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Over 100 people attended. Positive feedback from attendee’s:
   Comments included:

   • Enjoyed all / lighthearted and easy to understand
   • Learning so much support available
   • Short presentations(excellent) & the location
   • All providers coming together for holistic approach

2. Information was understandable to the cohort. Working to NALA (National Adult Literacy Agency) good practice guidelines, language was easy to interpret and read. All participants left with an information pack with information from the day.
3. As part of the evaluation participants were asked on future events, resources to be provided by Age Friendly / Sláintecare. Feedback has been noted, agreement between Age Friendly and Sláintecare is that the event will run annually and continue to be improved based on any response from relevant cohort / attendee’s / contributors.