Social enterprises’ impact on older people’s health and well-being

Exploring Scottish experiences:

Fig. 1 - The Social Determinants of Health conceptual framework. Source - Solar and Irwin (Solar and Irwin (2010), p. 6)

Part of the Common Health research programme, this paper explores ‘what’ impact social enterprise activities had on the health and well-being of participants over 50 and ‘how’ this impact was created.

The research covers the work of three social enterprises in Scotland, one in rural south west Scotland. Beneficial impacts were identified in terms of increased sense of purpose, social support, connectedness and inclusion.

These are considered as outcomes from a complex public health intervention for older people. The paper concludes that ‘social enterprise could play an important role in addressing current and forthcoming health and well-being service provision challenges’.

Henderson et al 2019 Social enterprise and older people

Fiona Henderson, Artur Steiner, Micaela Mazzei, and Catherine Docherty (2019) Health Promotion International, 1–11.

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