Evidence to inform the commissioning of day centres for older people

Research by the Institute of Gerontology at King’s College London into the role and purpose of generalist day centres for older people has identified the potential for their development and optimisation to improve older people’s health and wellbeing, support carers and maximise the impact of health and social care services.

The briefing summarises the study’s findings, their relevance and implications for commissioners. In particular, it found that day centres enriched the lives of socially isolated people who were unable to go out without support, offered added value and resulted in outcomes relevant to current social care and health policy themes.