Registrations for this project have now closed. Thank you to everyone who registered their interest in being involved.
The Plug-in, supported by Office for Ageing Well and Wellbeing SA, explored the experiences of older people making social connections and being active in their community.
We spoke with a wide range of older South Australians to understand how people successfully connect in social circles and more broadly within your community. We also explored what gets in the way of making social connections, including friendship connections, but also with neighbours and acquaintances in community settings.
The findings of this study will inform local programs in your area and be shared with decision-makers in state and local government, local health networks, not-for-profit organisations, and other service providers with the intent of improving everyday life for older South Australians.
Stage 1 — Survey — COMPLETE
The first stage of this project was a survey for people aged 50 years and over.
Through this survey we got to know a bit more about how people successfully make connections with community, or what gets in the way of making social connections. We also learnt about individual lifestyle and living arrangements.
Stage 2 — Focus Groups and Phone Interviews – COMPLETE
A series of focus groups and phone interviews were conducted in Stage 2 of the project. This helped us understand in more detail the experiences and insights gained from the survey to look at how we can better support older people to make social connections.
Eligible participants were:
- Aged 50 years: and
- Lived in or around Clare, Port Pirie, Robe, Victor Harbor or Whyalla.
Individual participation ranged from:
- Survey,
- Focus groups held in local townships, or
- One-on-one phone/video interviews with a researcher.
Your contributions make a difference to the lives of older South Australians.
For further information please contact The Plug-in on (08) 8224 5526 or email connect@theplugin.com.au
The Plug-in was supported by Office for Ageing Well and Wellbeing SA to undertake this research.
