What influences older people to join a community hub to engage in healthy ageing programs? An exploratory study

Most people seek to stay connected to their community as they age; this has been a major focus in the development of innovative community programs in Australia. This study aimed to explore what influences older people to join a community hub to engage in healthy ageing programs.

Semi-structured interviews (n = 29) were conducted during an Open Day in early 2023 at an urban community hub in Western Australia, followed by telephone interviews (n = 9) of a purposive sample of older individuals, community hub facilitators and coordinators of national community hubs. Analysis used a socio-ecological framework.

Deductive content analysis identified social prescribing as an overarching influencer for older people to join and engage in healthy ageing programs and main themes of (i) supporting community hub facilitators to harness community assets, (ii) link-supports provided to older members by paid community hub concierges triggered positive outcomes at individual and community levels, (iii) online and in-person social and physical healthy ageing activities tailored to member interests and (iv) nurturing social networks and reciprocity between members sustained engagement in healthy ageing activities.

The dynamic process of social prescribing was a central influencer for older adults to engage in healthy ageing programs, and the social network perpetuated through community hubs was an immeasurable social investment that boosted the resilience of intergenerational populations in Australian communities. Policy support is required for communities to meet the challenge of being responsive to the needs of members who seek to remain independent as they age in place.