Making Good Connections So Elderly People Can Continue To Live Independently

Published on: 13 Oct, 2016
Updated on: 18 Oct, 2016

The Diocese of Guildford’s Communities Engagement Team helps churches and their parishioners across Surrey in their work supporting their communities. This, the fifth in a series of stories, focuses on Nicola Bassani and her work as its community connector.

Nicola Bassani.

Finding out what services and support there is across the borough of Guildford for senior citizens and vulnerable adults is key to Nicola’s role.

She passes on these details to a wide range of groups and organisations linked to churches and in local communities.

To do this Nicola regularly visits groups and places where people gather to find out what their needs are. Although she does not offer one-to-one consultations as such, she is helping them to become more aware of what services they can access so they can continue to live independently and happily in their own communities.

Nicola said: “I recently attended a seated dance group and I have gone out with the borough council’s community meals team and dial-a-ride service to experience what they do.

“It has been useful for me to understand their roles so I can advise and pass on details of what they offer.

“I also work to help prevent duplication of services, so there is a lot of signposting in the role that aims to connect and inform people of things that they will find useful and beneficial.”

Before Nicola took up her post she helped with the care of her grandparents who lived in Horsley. She said: “We did not know what kind of help was available to them in a semi-rural area, how do you know these sort of things exist? Where do you look? I was a young person with a connection to the internet but I didn’t know where to start.”

Nicola has produced a handy leaflet that is available in some local GP surgeries that gives details of lots of services for elder people offered by organisations and local authorities. It includes where to go for coffee mornings, lunch clubs, car transport schemes, household help, and more.

She also works with Guildford Advice Services (GAS), an umbrella group that supports organisations operating in the borough of Guildford who offer information and advice. The Diocese of Guildford is a member of this. Nicola said: “I help promote what the member groups offer and how people can access a range of support services such as debt counselling, help with mental health problems, social isolation, and also specialist help for young adults.”

She also meets and works regularly with Guildford Borough Council’s adult social care team and community matrons across the borough who visit people who perhaps have recently come home from a stay in hospital. Nicola passes on the latest details of services offered by others and giving guidance as and when applicable.

Click here for the Diocese of Guildford’s website and its community connectors page that is part of its Community Engagement Team.