Get There Together

Get There Together is a national project to support people to access locations and services in their communities. It was designed with communities across Wales, to support people living with dementia but, could be used to help people with a variety of conditions. Short videos act as digital stories to enable the user to view locations and services before visiting, hopefully lessening any anxiety and encouraging people to get out into their communities. Initially Get There Together resources were developed to support people to adjust to changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim to reassure anyone who was apprehensive about getting back out into their communities. We learnt through feedback and data on resource usage, that the videos are highly valued and continue to help people beyond the pandemic. The Get There Together app has the option to view content in Welsh and English. The app allows users to view and save videos/activities from a national library that include a range of topics such as, going for a CT brain scan, getting a COVID-19 vaccination, managing noise sensitivity, getting out for some fresh air, visiting a hospice. Additionally, users & their supporters can create their own digital stories (with simple guided steps) to have personalised private activity content. This feature could be used to plan visits to local services or to support with activity preparation around the home, such as steps needed to make a cup of tea. A Day Planner enables multiple digital stories/activities to be saved in a series to plan a day out. Furthermore, the app will enable users to access the content whilst out and about, something focus groups of people living with dementia expressed would be useful. The Get There Together app has been designed with experts with experience of dementia, and their feedback was used to make changes to the app during the design and development process. The Get There Together app has been developed with funding from the Welsh Government. When launched in 2025 the Get There Together App was ORCHA Certified which demonstrated that we followed good practice and met standards including: UK GDPR, clinical safety, and usability. What people are saying about the Get There Together App… “I think this is fantastic.. I’ve shared it around our organisation to promote in our various projects, I am positive there will be lots of use and benefit.” - Rachel “This looks great – it’s a resource that will help very many people.” - Sion “I believe this app could be incredibly beneficial for many people with dementia, as well as those facing challenges due to learning disabilities, neurodivergence, or mental health issues.” - Ana “The App will help so many people - those living with dementia, families, carers and other health care professionals to navigate information and provide invaluable support – a much needed resource” - Jackie Pottle, Wales National Allied Health Professions lead for Palliative and End of life care “The app is a really innovative way of providing reassurance to people who want to engage with their community but may become overwhelmed. I like the way it also allows the person to add in their own planned activities which is only visible to them, it allows personalisation. This will be so helpful for people that just need a little help with planning and problem solving to have something they can refer to and steps to follow.” - Clare Noble, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist