Wigan POPP Partnerships for Older People Project

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Wigan POPPPartnerships for Older People Project

• Deborah Gent
• Project Manager

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Demographic Characteristics

• Wigan has an ageing population with almost 15 of
  the community aged over 65
• The borough has a sick population, with 22.3 of
  local people having a limiting long term illness.
• Wigan is the 26th most affordable
• area for housing in the country
• and as a result has a high
• proportion of older people
• who are owner-occupiers.

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Existing Initiatives

• To address these inequalities Wigan Council and
  the
• PCT have signed up to a number of strategic
• frameworks
• The Innovations Forum
• Chronic Disease Management Strategy
• Starting Point (single point
• of access prevention service)
• POPP complements and enhances
• measures designed to prevent
• changing times escalating into a crisis.

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Getting Older People Involved

• The Over 50s Forum and
• the Engagement Forum
• promoted and encouraged
• the active involvement of
• older people in the
• planning and development
• of Wigan POPP.

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Six Key Outcomes

• During a series of meetings in 2005 and 2006, the
• local older people of Wigan highlighted the
• following visions
• Having an active and health life
• Challenging ageism and discrimination
• Getting out and about
• Having a decent income
• Promoting independence at home
• Feeling safe and reducing risks

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Getting Organisations Involved
Local Organisations were asked to attend a
meeting to discuss the possibility of working
collaboratively. A number of ideas were proposed
which were informed by the visions of local
people. Agreement was reached unanimously on the
initiatives to be developed.
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Wigan POPP Schemes

• Time Limited Contact
• Counselling
• Rapid Response for Carers
• Community Health Development
• BME Carers and Mental Health
• Handyman
• Gardening
• Care and Repair
• Stop and Lock
• Bogus Caller Awareness
• Stepping Out
• Sheltered Housing Adaptations
• Assistive Technology

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Positive Outcomes

• 4,950 POPP referrals have been made since the
  Partnership began (with 87.4 receiving a
  service).
• There has been effective partnership working,
  with a high percentage of interagency referrals.
• A dedicated and enthusiastic cohort of volunteers
  have been recruited.
• Professional friendships have formed
• between schemes.
• Preliminary findings suggest Wigan
• POPP is demonstrating value for
• money.

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Challenges

• Reaching Hard to Reach Groups.
• Balancing demand with the capacity to respond.
• Ensuring that those who need to
• know about services, do know.
• Measuring prevention.
• The sustainability of projects.