A retrospective observational study of characteristics and outcomes of older patients referred to a hospital-based social prescribing programme

Introduction Social Prescribing (SP) links people to non-medical supports to address social determinants of health (SDH) and improve wellbeing. To date, there has been little evidence published on the use or outcomes of SP with older adults in a hospital setting. Here, we described patient characteristics, engagement, and pre–post wellbeing outcomes in a hospital-based SP programme for older people. Materials and methods Retrospective observational cohort of all patients aged ≥65 referred from a tertiary hospital to a dedicated link-worker SP service (Dublin, Ireland), May 2020–October 2023 ( n = 370). Wellbeing was assessed with the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and WHO-5 at baseline and end of programme for those with paired data. Descriptive statistics and paired tests were used. Results Mean age 80.1 (SD 7.7); 66% female; 65% lived alone; 36% with dementia; mean comorbidities 4.8. Two-hundred ten completed the programme. Among completers with paired measures, WEMWBS increased from 50.2 to 54.8 ( p = 0.006, n = 94) and WHO-5 from 55.5 to 68.7 ( p = 0.017, n = 90). Discussion Hospital-based SP for older adults was feasible with measurable improvements in wellbeing among completers. There were barriers to engagement that have wider public health policy implications.