The Older Person’s Listening Project

Abstract

The Older Person’s Listening Project is a Participatory Action Research project that has to date involved over 40 ‘volunteer listeners’ including local individuals and staff from over 25 organisations; from the third sector, public health, housing and county borough councils. Everyone involved shared the common belief that older people are highly valuable members of our communities, with experiences and knowledge that should be listened to, shared and acted upon. However, evidence shows that a lot of older people in our communities are often subject to loneliness and isolation. The issue of loneliness and isolation is a complex one, which affects people differently, and has a wide range of causes and different impacts. The Listening Project has been engaging with over 50’s and recording their experiences using a tool called SenseMaker®. Unlike traditional consultation, SenseMaker® is used to capture and make sense of what matters most to people, making research more about people than the researcher’s agenda; whilst still generating strong evidence to support and guide the work of the third sector and to advocate the voices of community members at a strategic level.

Author

Bethan Smith

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