Our Programmes
What we do, every day,
in Clydebank homes
Four interconnected programmes, all free, all built around the real needs of older Clydebankers.
Four interconnected programmes, all free, all built around the real needs of older Clydebankers.
The practical work of Vibrant Health Advocates – Cobalt begins the moment a referral arrives — from a GP, a district nurse, a family member, or an older person themselves who has heard about us from a neighbour. Within five working days, one of our advisers telephones to arrange a home visit at a time that suits.
The visit itself is unhurried. We look at every room, ask about night-time routines, enquire about any recent near-misses, and take careful note of what the person themselves says they are worried about — because they usually know exactly where the risks are. Grab rails are fitted, lighting is improved, trip hazards are removed, and a personalised safety plan is written up and left in a format the client can actually read and refer back to.
Alongside individual home visits, our weekly exercise classes provide a structured, sociable setting in which older Clydebankers build the balance and leg strength that are the most reliable long-term protection against falls. The combination of the home environment made safer and the body made stronger is, we have found, far more effective than either intervention alone.
Weekly balance classes
Home adaptations
Every programme is delivered at no cost to Clydebank residents aged 75 and over. No referral is required — you can contact us directly.
A free, thorough in-home visit for every Clydebank resident aged 75 or over, identifying fall hazards and acting on them the same day wherever possible.
Our trained advisers spend up to ninety minutes in a client's home, working through every room with a structured assessment tool developed in partnership with NHS occupational therapy colleagues. Common hazards — loose rugs, poor lighting, cluttered hallways, unsecured stair rails — are addressed immediately where we carry the right equipment. More significant adaptations, such as level-access shower conversions or external ramp installations, are progressed through West Dunbartonshire Council's scheme with our support throughout the application process. Every client receives a written home safety plan and a follow-up call within six weeks.
Weekly falls-prevention exercise sessions at accessible venues across Clydebank, using the evidence-based Otago and Stepping On programmes.
Our classes run at three venues across Clydebank, including one session specifically for residents of sheltered housing. Each class is led by an instructor trained and accredited in falls-prevention exercise delivery and kept small — no more than twelve participants — so that individual progress can be monitored and exercises adapted for different levels of mobility. We track participants' balance and confidence scores at entry, three months, and six months, and the data consistently show meaningful improvement. Transport is available for participants who cannot get to class independently.
Supported referral and active follow-through to occupational therapy, community alarm, housing adaptation grant, and social care services for older Clydebank residents.
Many of the older people we visit are already eligible for statutory support they have never accessed — because the paperwork is daunting, the waiting times are confusing, or no one has sat down with them to explain what is available. Our advisers complete referral forms alongside clients, liaise directly with GP practice staff and the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership single point of contact, and track every referral to confirmation of receipt. We do not consider a referral closed until the client tells us the support has arrived. This tenacious follow-through is one of the things our GP partners tell us they value most.
A telephone advice line for family members and informal carers of Clydebank over-75s who are worried about a relative's safety at home.
Adult children and spouses are often the first to notice that a parent or partner is becoming less steady on their feet — but they frequently do not know where to turn, particularly if they live at a distance. Our support line, staffed by knowledgeable advisers during office hours, gives families a trusted first point of contact: someone who knows Clydebank's services, can triage the level of concern, and can arrange a home visit within days rather than weeks. We also offer a short information pack for families covering the most common home-safety questions, available by post or download.
We partner closely with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, and local GP practices so that no older person in our patch falls through the cracks. Our referral relationships are built on years of trust and demonstrated follow-through — partners know that when they refer to us, the work actually gets done.
We hold the OSCR quality mark for governance and have earned the trust of referral partners across the local health and social care system. We are proud to be the organisation that older people and their families call when they need someone who will actually come.