About this resource
Older people's wellbeing is about more than health. This check-in covers health, mood, connection, safety, home, money and what matters most to the person, in their words, to guide support planning.
Purpose
To open a holistic conversation about an older person's wellbeing and wishes.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Social workers. Also relevant for allied health and multidisciplinary teams, community services and case workers.
Client or participant group: Older people, with social workers and practitioners.
Practice setting: Hospital, community, aged care and home support.
Suggested uses
- Psychosocial assessment
- Aged care conversations
- Discharge planning
- Community support
Instructions for practitioners
- Speak with the person directly and privately where possible.
- Respect their choices.
- Follow up any safety concerns, including elder abuse.
- Link with supports the person wants.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Rate each area.
- Say what matters to you.
- Choose support you would like.
Accessibility considerations
Large print. Consider hearing and vision. Interpreters available.
Scope and limitations
A conversation tool. It is not a clinical or capacity assessment.
Research basis
Biopsychosocial and ecological models describe how health, relationships and wider systems interact in a person's life. Interventions that address social connection and unhelpful social thinking can reduce loneliness.
- Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674028845
- Engel, G. L. (1977). The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129–136. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.847460
- Masi, C. M., Chen, H. Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2011). A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(3), 219–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868310377394
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced.
