Our older person’s business were very pleased to be invited along to the recent Newport Age Friendly City event to talk about the role of housing associations in supporting an Age Friendly Newport.
Denise Brennan, Head of Active Ageing at Derwen looked at the World Health Organisation’s eight domains for an age friendly city and made the case that housing associations don’t just meet the criteria for the housing element, but actively support all the other domains as well, although the hardest one to influence was transport.
She spoke passionately about how housing associations provide so much more than just bricks and motor, although buildings and the environment are a really important part of their contribution. They also support neighbourhoods and communities and more importantly individuals.
Derwen’s active ageing ethos contributes to a number of the domains including: social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic partnership and employment, communication and information and community support and health services. They do this by working with a number of partners to provide a range of services, for example intergenerational working with Cardiff Metropolitan students providing alternative therapies, healthy eating clubs with input from dietitians and speech and language therapists. They promote volunteering and are working towards becoming a more dementia friendly organisation.
For more information contact Denise Brennan, Head of Active Ageing Derwen denise.brennan@derwencymru.co.uk
