Supporting older people to maintain their independence for longer

Hampshire Perspectives is the County Council's residents' forum

This report summarises key findings from the 53rd Hampshire Perspectives survey.

The survey explored how we can improve a video designed to support carers and family members in encouraging older people to remain active and independent, helping them maintain their strength, confidence and ability for longer.

The survey was open from 27 May to 9 June 2026 and received 440 responses from Hampshire Perspectives members.

Key findings and how we will use your feedback:

Understanding how older people are supported:

• Over a third of you said you currently provide care or support to an older person, most commonly a parent, neighbour, or partner. In comparison, 13% receive support, mainly from a partner or their children.
• The most common types of support for most included food shopping, carrying groceries, and household or garden tasks. This has helped us to understand the scenarios in the video that will resonate with most people.
• While 84% recognised that people help older adults because they care, fewer (68%) understood that regularly doing tasks for someone can affect their strength, flexibility, stamina, and balance. As a result, we are looking to strengthen messaging that highlights the benefits of undertaking activities together, or with supervision where appropriate, to help older people maintain their strength, confidence and ability to live independently for longer.

Refining the video:

• 88% of you rated the video positively. The majority found it easy to understand, agreed it addressed an important issue and felt it provided useful suggestions. This feedback confirmed that the core message of the video resonates strongly and should be retained.
• While reactions were largely positive, around two in five respondents highlighted areas for improvement. Feedback focused mainly on the video's tone and concerns about whether some older people could safely carry out tasks themselves. This has helped us identify phrases and references that could be improved to ensure the tone feels more positive and supportive.
• Most of you (67%) felt the phrase "We Care Too Much" worked well. However, some felt it could send mixed messages or imply caring less for others. We will therefore review this wording and explore alternatives that encourage reflection while maintaining a positive and supportive tone.

Encouraging more independence and shared activity:

• More than half of you supporting an older person said the video would encourage you to adapt the support you provide, while a further fifth of you said you already take this approach. Those less likely to change their approach often cited concerns about the older person's ability or safety.
• Among respondents who receive support themselves, over half said the video would encourage them to do more activities alongside the person supporting them. This feedback suggests the message resonates with some carers and older people receiving support.