At the Network of Wellbeing, we believe every stage of life holds space for renewed purpose, connection and vitality. We’re delighted to share a reflection from Tom Mack, Partnerships Manager at Active Devon, on the ‘Live Longer Better’ movement – a growing initiative showing how knowledge, confidence and social connection can transform our experience of ageing. Tom’s insight speaks to our joint mission: helping people and communities flourish in ways that strengthen both personal wellbeing and the collective good.
Vive le revolution!
As someone in their 50’s trying to learn French, I know how hard it can be to teach an old dog new tricks! However, the Live Longer Better revolution is clearly demonstrating that people well into later life are open to learning and using that learning to improve their health and wellbeing.
The elixir of life is knowledge, give people the knowledge to take control of their lives, boost their confidence, social connection and self worth and you will find that old dogs can certainly learn new tricks.
What is Live Longer Better?
Live Longer Better is a national movement founded by Sir Muir Gray (former chief knowledge officer for the NHS) and aims to increase people’s healthspan, not just lifespan, in other words, to reduce the period of time towards the end of our lives when we are dependent on others. It is based on the principle that ageing alone is not the cause of major problems until we hit our 10th decade. Yes you need a bit of luck, but your attitude towards ageing and your physical fitness are key.
Physical, cognitive and social activity are powerful and well proven tools to improve health and wellbeing and promote healthy ageing. The benefits are so great that if it were in pill form we would all be clamouring to get one!
Live Longer Better is essentially an online video based healthy ageing course for both the public and professionals. It covers different aspects of ageing and features medical experts sharing their experiences and advice. See a teaser here – Learn to Live Longer Better with Sir Muir Gray and Dr Chris van Tulleken – Vimeo
What is happening in Devon?
In Devon, we are using Live Longer Better to unite people and organisations across the county, to inspire our ageing population and to supercharge the existing good practice that exists already in promoting healthy and active ageing.
We have taken Live Longer Better to a new level, creating a face-to-face version of the course so residents can come together to learn, explore, make friends, gain confidence and get more active. These courses focus on fun, learning, social connection and linking participants to existing community wellbeing and activity services and providers.
We are working with health care professionals like GPs and Social Prescribers, to target patients who would benefit via text message invitations, and the take up and impact so far has been fantastic.
What have we learned?
Early data and insight suggests that we are engaging a high percentage of people with long term conditions affecting their daily lives and it shows that up to 90% of them are saying that they have improved their health confidence, mental wellbeing and life satisfaction.
They are also telling us that they have:
- Increased confidence
- Increased reflection and awareness of need to change
- Enjoyed increased social connection
- New positive habits
- A strong desire to plan their future
- New physical (and cognitive and social)activity habits (with and without new peers)
- Learnt about what is good for healthy ageing
- Passed key messages to friends and family
See the Torbay video (below) to hear directly from participants about what the programme has done for them.
The early results emerging from Torbay and wider Devon communities show what becomes possible when people are given the tools, confidence and companionship to shape their own wellbeing. Live Longer Better is proving to be far more than a course – it is a gentle revolution, reminding us that later life can be active, connected and full of promise. As this movement gathers momentum, so too does the opportunity for all of us to reimagine ageing and support one another to live with greater purpose, resilience and joy – no matter our age.
– written by Tom Mack, Partnerships Manager at Active Devon