PROGRAMME EVALUATION PROVES POSITIVE
Although the Drink Wise, Age Well initiative has now ended, a recent legacy workshop showed the value that the programme had brought to local communities.
D
rink Wise, Age Well was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 2015 with funding from The National Lottery
Community fund.
The programme was launched in response to research that showed that, while rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm were falling for all groups, there was still an increase in excess consumption of alcohol in the over-55 cohort.
In February of this year, a legacy workshop was held to consider an evaluation of the outcomes and achievements of the programme and to explore how the programme’s legacy could be continued after the programme ended.
Twenty-one participants attended the virtual workshop, which combined a presentation of the findings of the evaluation with testimony from individuals with lived experience of the issue.
During the workshop, the participants were split into three breakout groups to discuss four recommendations within one of three categories:
Non-Judgemental Practice It was noted that alcohol issues don’t just affect an individual, but the family and loved ones as well and, as such, the value of co-production and inclusion of the voice of those with lived experience was universally acknowledged as critical to ensuring non-judgemental practice.
Resilience The importance of supporting people through post-COVID and of recognising and understanding shared life events was also discussed. During times of disconnection through social distancing and lockdowns, participants were particularly aware of the importance of creativity and of the use of technology to ‘reach in’ to people’s homes.
Services There was agreement among those involved that services cannot just be available on a nine-to-five basis. Suggestions therefore included a helpline, adopting domiciliary approaches, ensuring that crisis response services do not exclude
individuals with alcohol issues and identifying ways to prevent people from having to attend A & E.
Adrienne Clugston, Operations Manager at UCA-NI, was one of the workshop participants.
‘Improved focus on the training healthcare professionals receive on addiction issues would be welcome,’ she said. ‘It’s about getting the messaging right from an early stage in their education. An integrated approach is essential in addressing these issues effectively for the patient, as addiction issues are complex and may require input from a number of support services.
‘Overall, Drink Wise, Age Well was a productive programme, tackling the problem of access to support for this particular cohort,’ she said. ‘Many services have upper age limits or are focussed on the needs of younger people. Yet, older people are just as likely to accept help and be successful in their recovery as younger age groups.’
For more information, visit
addictionni.com or
drinkwiseagewell.org.uk
pharmacyinfocus.com 37
OLDER PEOPLE ARE JUST AS LIKELY TO ACCEPT HELP AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR RECOVERY AS YOUNGER AGE GROUPS
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