Social isolation refers to limited social contact and interaction with others, resulting in feelings of loneliness and disconnection. It disproportionately affects the elderly due to factors like loss of friends and family, retirement, reduced mobility, ageism, and limited access to technology. The elderly are at higher risk of social isolation as they may experience a shrinking social circle and face barriers to social participation. Social isolation has significant detrimental effects on their mental and physical well-being, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life. Addressing social isolation among the elderly is crucial for promoting their overall health and happiness.
Social prescribing is a healthcare approach that recognises the importance of social factors in overall well-being. It involves connecting individuals with non-medical activities and community resources to improve their health and quality of life. Healthcare professionals, such as doctors or social workers, “prescribe” activities like art classes, gardening, exercise groups, or support groups, which can address underlying social determinants of health and promote holistic well-being. By addressing social isolation, mental health, and lifestyle factors, social prescribing aims to enhance individual health outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare services.
Social prescribing provides support in various areas of people’s lives, leading to increased confidence, improved navigation of systems, and enhanced friendships and trust in healthcare, while communities should be designed in an age-friendly way to prevent isolation.
In Part 1 of the Models of Care on Social Prescribing, Australian Health Journal spoke to 4 people advocating for social prescribing in Australia:
- Dr Michelle Lim, Scientific Chair and Chairperson, Ending Loneliness Together
- Patricia Sparrow, Chief Executive Officer, COTA Australia
- Dr Paresh Dawda, General Practitioner, Director and Principal, Next Practice Deakin. All well as being a UK GP
- Tracey Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Inala Primary Care
The discussions with these advocates emphasise social prescribing is a necessary solution to address isolation, loneliness, and stress, but it requires more resources, funding, and support to make it accessible and affordable for individuals, particularly older Australians.
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Valuing the Contribution of Exercise Physiologists in Australia
Exercise physiologists are saving the Australian health system at least $940 million across six chronic health conditions every three years, a Deloitte Access Economics report has found.
Backed by three decades of rigorous peer-reviewed science, exercise physiology delivers services to 243,000 Australians per week, translating to more than 1.16 million unique patients annually, primarily through 9,800 Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) nationwide.
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Improving access to osteopathic services and integrated care models
The Chief Executive Officer of Osteopathy Australia, Antony Nicholas spoke with Australian Health Journal about:
– Involvement in the Strengthening Medicare Task Force
– The unique skills osteopaths have that can address the chronic disease burden
– Current workforce issues around osteopaths and if enough are coming through via student placements
– How uploading data to My Health Record by osteopaths could assist team-based care of patients
– How the value of osteopaths in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) could be better understood and better access for residents
– The recommendations around aged care access to allied health services, including osteopathy
– The recommendations around consumer access to osteopaths and GP referrals
– Other osteopathy recommendations in the upcoming Federal BudgetIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
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Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite on patient safety and health systems improvement
Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite is Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Director of the Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science and Professor of Health Systems Research at Macquarie University.
Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite is a leading health services and systems researcher with an international reputation for his work investigating and contributing to systems improvement.
The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) recently announced it will award the 2021 Sidney Sax medal for outstanding contributions to the development and improvement of Australia’s healthcare system to Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite.
