Social prescribing programs for older adults and providers emphasized person-centered care, environmental factors, behavior change, and health outcomes, among other implementation themes.
Background
The growing older adult population has led to an increase in the number of individuals living with chronic conditions and experiencing social isolation. Social prescribing aims to address unmet social needs through connections to community-based programs and services. This systematic review assessed qualitative studies measuring the experiences of older adults and social prescribing providers, as well as perceptions of program outcomes and implementation.
Findings
The review included eight qualitative studies with 197 older adults from four countries, where provider and participant data were collected through interviews. Five overarching themes were identified: personalized experience, providers and connectors, behavior change, environment, and health, lifestyle, and social outcomes. Participants emphasized the importance of receiving person-centered support from their providers and link workers to address their needs and help manage anxiety, depression, and improve their self-confidence. However, participants faced barriers to participating in prescribed activities due to transportation and other barriers. Providers highlighted the important role they play in facilitating social prescribing but noted that awareness and understanding of the care model could be limited. The findings also noted the importance of creating physically accessible environments that allow older adults to engage in prescribed activities.
Program/Policy Takeaways
Person-centered, supportive, and accessible social prescribing programs may improve health outcomes for older adults. Providers and community organizations aiming to support older adults can use the provider and participant experiences summarized in this study to increase awareness of social prescribing and key program components to consider during design and implementation.
