Prosper

Age UK Bradford District are pleased to be working on this five year National Institute for Health Research funded  project with Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, The University of Leeds, Age UK National and Age UK Leeds, to develop and test a new approach to care which aims to improve quality of life for older people with frailty, by giving then choice and control over decisions about their health and wellbeing.

Frailty is a condition of increased vulnerability to major changes in health as a result of seemingly small problems, such as infection or new medication.  It is common in older age, affecting about 10% of people over the age of 65. It develops as we age because our bodies change and can lose their inbuilt reserves, for example muscle strength and can leave us with an increased risk of falls and disability.

Prosper is designed to improve self-management skills and help older people with frailty to improve their wellbeing and thrive with the support of their community.  Based around the principles of personalised care planning and targeting a well-defined population, Prosper aims to improve coordination of GP, voluntary sector and social care services and increase the social networks of older people with frailty.

The lead researcher, Dr Andrew Clegg, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Geriatrician at the Academic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation (AUECR), University of Leeds and Bradford Teaching Hospitals said: "We are very excited about this major project to improve the lives of older people.  Our close partnership with Age UK has ensured a truly person-centred approach that will focus on the individual priorities of older people living with frailty, including measuring quality of life as our main outcome of importance.  We will also collect detailed information on use of health and social services, so the work is of considerable importance for older people, their families, the NHS, and social care."