Older People

Stay safe, independent and comfortable in your own home with GoodOaks visiting or live-in homecare.
GoodOaks’ visiting care professionals look after all those tasks that are becoming a struggle. They help with morning and evening routines, housework, preparing meals, administering medication, attending doctors appointments – and they provide companionship.

BCP and Dorset Libraries provide a free delivery of books and talking books from each of their libraries to those who find it difficult to access the library themselves; it can be delivered short or long term, and is available to carers. Books are chosen individually for each person, and delivered every 3 or 4 weeks by a Royal Voluntary Service volunteer, providing not only a regular supply of new reading materials, but also a much looked forward to visit.
We have strong teams of volunteers in both Christchurch and Highcliffe Libraries, and we would welcome new referrals to our service.

The CSP is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK’s 64,000 chartered physiotherapists, students and support workers.

Their Youtube channel contains many playlists on targeting different areas of the body for strengthening exercises and contains a specific playlist for older people to help them stay fit and healthy.

My Care My Home is a charity providing free information & advice to anyone in England and Wales who has questions about care. We’ve designed our services to empower you to make the right choices about your care, or the care of your loved one.

Our friendly advisors are on hand to take the guesswork out of your care journey with completely free, impartial, and expert advice about every aspect of finding and funding care.

My Care My Home provides older people and vulnerable adults with choice and guidance to help them make informed decisions about their care. Our range of services offer support with every aspect of care, from providing information and advice to delivering care assistance at home.

While some of our services are chargeable, many are free of charge. If you have a question or need some support, our free helpline is operated 7 days a week, from 8am-8pm. Call us on 0800 731 8470 or find out more ways to get in touch.

A 2-course hot lunch, for people over the age of 60 at Greystones Hall, Christchurch.
Approx £3 for a 2 course hot lunch (please call to confirm)

Every Friday afternoon (2pm)
A selection of films shown in our main hall cinema
£3 donation for refreshment
This is a dementia friendly screening.

A fun singing session every Friday morning from 10.30am.

Refreshments provided. £3, Carers free

In addition all our regular events are dementia friendly.

Payment can be made in cash on the day or half termly in advance.

Yoga is known to improve posture, increase flexibility, build muscle strength, and boost metabolism. We provide classes for the over 50s in safe, accessible venues. We run multiple yoga classes across the local area and are always able to offer more in your local area if we can get enough people interested.

Our current classes run at:

Moordown Community Centre, 21 Coronation Avenue, BH9 1TW on Mondays from 1:30pm – 3pm & Fridays from 10am – 11:30am

Canford Cliffs Village Hall, 17 Ravine Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole, BH13 7HT on Wednesdays from 1:15pm – 2:15pm

For more information please call our booking team on 01202 530530.

We have multiple walking groups for varying levels of ability. Our energetic walking group is a brisk paced walk for those who are more active. We also offer a gentler walking group. There will be various routes available, where you will be able to enjoy the beautiful Dorset scenery. Our Walking Groups will provide regular activity at a level suitable to you, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the company of others.

Our Better Balance classes are designed to help reduce the risk of a fall which could lead to an injury in later life. Many people think there is nothing they can do about getting less mobile in older age but regular gentle exercise can make a big difference.

What is Better Balance?

Are you concerned about falling, or have you fallen recently? Falls are such common events for older people, often with such severe consequences, but it’s easy to think that it won’t happen to you, or to assume there’s nothing you can do about it. But around 30% of adults over 65 living at home will experience one fall a year; around 2.5 million people in England, rising to 50% of adults over 80 living in their home or residential care.

Our classes are low impact and suitable for all abilities and ages. Most participants notice a rapid improvement in their confidence, balance, and stability, especially if they continue their learning at home.

Classes are held at the following location:

Canford Cliffs Village Hall, 17 Ravine Road, Canford Cliffs, Poole, BH13 7HT

Please call our Health and Wellbeing Services on 01202 530530 for further details.

The CCP offers a range of services, including Christchurch Angels, Neighbour Cars and Dial a Bus, to support those in the community who struggle to engage with, or access services. Referrals to the services are made by GP Surgeries, Adult Health & Social Care, BCP Council as well as by relatives or carers.

The CCP also works in partnership and collaboration with most of the other statutory and voluntary organisations and groups in Christchurch to ensure that existing gaps in provision can be identified and filled. The transport services support those who need assistance to access Lunch Clubs and support groups, whilst our Christchurch Angels volunteers support individuals by initially accompanying them to activities and helping them rebuild their confidence after a long period of isolation, or a bereavement.

We’re here to support you

We provide practical, local and emotional support to people around the UK. Find out how we can help you or someone you care for, and learn more about our services, we can offer the following support and services:

• Emotional support
• Mobility aids services
• Refugee services
• Help at home
• Financial support
• Help to find missing family

PramaLife have developed 55 Clubs, Groups and Activities across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and East Dorset:

• Telephone Friendship groups
• Good Neighbour Scheme
• Care for Craft
• Memory Lane Groups
• Carers Support
• Gardening Group
• and many more!

Reducing loneliness and social isolation amongst older people by bringing generations together in friendship and shared experiences.

Everyone should have the chance to make new friends, our group and one-to-one activities will help you expand your social circle in a friendly, safe environment.

Tea parties

Our tea parties are free monthly social groups open to people aged 75 and over. They are a chance for a change of scenery and regular afternoons of conversation and laughter with friends of all ages. You will even be taken there and home again so don’t need to worry about organising travel.

Call companions

Would you like a regular friendly chat over the phone with your very own call companion? Call companions is available to anyone aged 75 and over who would benefit from a regular chat over the phone with a friendly volunteer.

“Getting a call companion is the best and most valuable thing I’ve ever done.”

The award-winning rainbow call companions

Rainbow call companions is an award-winning free service for older LGBT+ people who are lonely, isolated or in need of companionship and feel they would enjoy a friendly phone call every week or two with a volunteer who is also LGBT+.

The Silver Line Helpline is a free, confidential telephone services just for older people. We provide friendship, conversation and support, 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week, 52 weeks of the year.

We need connection whatever our age – especially if we live alone or further away from family. The Silver Line Helpline gives older people the opportunity to exchange a friendly word, access support, or enjoy a long enriching conversation.

Forest Arts has been the creative heart of New Milton for nearly 50 years. Our programme of entertainment includes some of the most exciting touring musicians, stand-up comedy, fortnightly film screenings, talks and community events.

Our Green Room café/bar is also a gallery and our annual open exhibition is a place where artists we’ve nurtured in our classes and workshops can display their work too. Visit during the day and you’ll find our building full of people who are learning something new – whether that’s ballet, art or stone carving; the classes and workshops continue into the evening – ensuring that as many people as possible make the best use of our facilities.

Since March 2020, we have adapted and reinvented what we do and continued to run a varied programme online, outdoors and in the centre. Things have looked a bit different to usual but we’re prioritising making sure that our staff, volunteers and visitors feel safe and welcome. This will be continued to be our focus over the next few months as we return to more frequent events and activities. We’re a small and friendly team so please say hello when you’re next in the centre or get in touch using the contact details on this page, and let us know any feedback you have and thoughts and ideas for our future programme.

Age Concern Christchurch (ACC) aims to improve the quality of life for thousands of older people across the borough, helping them to retain their independence safely and with dignity to get the most out of life. We aim to be responsive and innovative, flexible and community driven.

We provide befriending services for over 65s, friendship groups and transport for shopping and day trips. We have two retail shops in Bargates and Tuckton too.

Hourglass is the only charity in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland working exclusively on elder abuse, and we provide knowledge, expertise and support to thousands of people every year.

We work to protect, and prevent the abuse of, vulnerable older adults and by doing so we also protect other adults at risk of abuse.

This is a confidential Service. If you are worried for the welfare of an older person, you can call us for free on our 24/7 Helpline – 0808 808 8141 for confidential information, support and guidance.

Our Helpline is open 24/7 – including weekends and bank holidays. Email, text and instant message options are currently only available during business hours, (Mon-Fri 9 to 5).

Mobile number for the text service 07860 052906.

Many people living with Dementia feel that having support along their journey will maximise independent living and prevent a crisis. At Help & Care, we are committed to supporting you to live well with Dementia.

We are delighted to be working in partnership with Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group & Age UK, as an integral part of the revised Dementia Services Pathway for Dorset.

If you or a loved one have had a recent diagnosis, you will have been offered the support of a Dementia Coordinator by the Memory Advisory Service.

Help & Care’s Dementia Co-ordinators provide post-diagnostic support for people with a diagnosis of dementia, their families and carers. This includes dedicated Early Onset Dementia support and more general information on dementia with signposting to local agencies.

This service can be referred into by the Memory Advisory Service, another professional or by a self referral.

Driven by our 75 years’ experience of providing care to older people Silverways Nursing Home provides your relatives the utmost care whilst staying with us, either permanently or on respite. As a charitable organisation we are not driven by profit which means we can employ a team of 94 who look after a maximum of 61 residents, this staff to resident ratio is above average therefore allowing the time to carry out duties with care and dedication. Many of our team members have been with us for over ten years, so you can be assured that your loved one will not have to have their care plan repeatedly explained to new team members on a regular basis. Staff also get to know the residents as they are assigned to the same area of the home on every shift, thus allowing them to form a trusting relationship.

Avondene is a small and friendly care home situated in Mudeford in Dorset. It is ran by Christchurch Housing Society, a charitable organisations and is within a short distance to Fishermans bank and the nature reserve at Stanpit Marsh. Mudeford Quay is also within walking distance. Other local amenities can also be found in the pretty town of Christchurch.

We provide a weekly two course home-cooked meal to the community for £3.50pp.

The purpose of lunch club is specifically to target loneliness by bringing older people together in a safe and welcoming environment.

It is important to us that mobility does not create a barrier to accessibility, teamed with Christchurch Community Partnership we are able to offer our residents a door-to-door bus service for £1 return.

We are a UK wide charity offering one to One tech support. We support older people and People of any age who are disabled to achieve their goals online. Our volunteers are Enhanced DBS checked, plus undergo a rigorous interview process to ensure the safety of all.
We currently have a free helpline and more than 300 UK wide carefully selected  AbilityNet Tech support volunteers who offer one to one support in disabled and older clients’ homes with technology, whether it is a laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone.  We offer impartial advice, help set up new equipment, or show people how to set up email, online shopping, connect with family and friends etc.   Our offer is also quite niche as we offer advice and support on how to make an individual’s device work for them, for example, if we were to support a visually impaired client we would identify their need and show them how to adjust their device to make it more accessible by making the font bigger or setting up talk back.

We support those in the Dorset Community who have a visual impairment.
I am the local Community Support Worker who can visit at home to assess the needs and support for the individual.
We run social clubs across the county, have a befriending volunteer service and also our own Equipment and Aids service that can visit you in your own home!

Information and Advice – free and confidential information and advice service for older people, their families and carers.
Footcare – simple toe nail cutting in your own home.

Help at Home – Domestic support such as shopping, ironing and cleaning; companionship; light de-cluttering, help with correspondence and bill paying; light garden maintenance such as mowing grass, light pruning, weeding and planting.

One to one IT support – in your own home with your computers, devices & tablets including set up, installation and tuition.

Community Connections – Loneliness and isolation can have big impact on the health and wellbeing of older people. Community Connections helps to tackle the causes of isolation and loneliness.

Better Balance classes – Low-impact exercises designed to help reduce the risk of a fall which could lead to an injury in later life.

Energetic Walking Group – A brisk paced walk for the keen energetic walker. Enjoy the company of others once a fortnight while taking in the stunning Dorset scenery.

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups – The only non-clinical intervention recommended by the UK Government National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the management of dementia irrespective of drug treatments received.

We provide information for older people, their families and carers through this website and by distributing free printed advice guides and leaflets. Topics include money, support and care, housing options, health, personal life and future planning.