New app offers help in older age

A free app that aims to help people prepare for older age pressures is being tested in southern England, according to infotec.news

East and West Sussex councils are leading the pilot scheme for the Life Transitions software that can be installed and run on electronic devices.

The app is supported by the Government’s UK Research and Innovation funding as part of the wider Healthy Ageing Challenge.

For the trial, only residents of East or West Sussex are being encouraged to use the app, which offers to assist them in thinking about what’s important in life, what resources they have and what they might need for big changes ahead.

Available in Apple and Google Play stores, Life Transitions offers a way to gain relevant knowledge, skills and social support to help prepare for such later-life changes as – retirement, health, mobility, menopause, becoming a carer, and loss and bereavement.

Feedback already received has been fed into the app’s development. Volunteers have been trained to provide support in person or online. This ‘non-judgemental support’ aims to help residents identify the actions they can take to prepare for the future.

‘We can face some big challenges and changes as we age,’ said Mark Stainton, Director of Adult Social Care & Health at East Sussex County Council. ‘It can be difficult to know what we will need in the future to ensure a good quality of life in older age.

‘This free app is a great tool to help us understand what changes we might face and how we can build the skills and resources to prepare for them. It’s never too early to start thinking about and planning for your future.’

MMHS residents who live in Sussex can obviously use Life Transitions. Those outside the trial area could share the news about the app with friends, family and colleagues who live in that region.