Health and Wellbeing Networks for Older People: A scoping review for future research

The context of escalating need for government funded social work and healthcare services encourages policymakers to develop new enterprises which relieve demand for statutory services. This article reports findings from ethnographic studies of such enterprises in Australia and the United Kingdom, comprising a purposive sample of site visits and semi-structured interviews. The countries were selected because of their rapid new development of wellbeing services. The findings demonstrate types of relational network which enable informal access to wellbeing services. These are classified by their features, including distinctive leadership hubs. Spiritual leaders and resources are shown to contribute significantly to these networks, which incorporate sports, arts and therapeutic practices. With social work and public health strategically aligned in many market based systems globally, research on alternative network development processes is now required for local authorities with community wellbeing responsibilities. Overlapping relationships between alternative networks offer the prospect of a more holistic approach to public health that reduces pressures on formal care services.