NIHR Research Opportunity

What if you could reach older adults before crisis?

A short conversation with us could shape how your organisation delivers prevention — at scale, at no extra cost.

Enabiva is a simple, non-clinical digital platform — grounded in occupational therapy‑informed (OT‑informed) principles and behaviour‑change theory — that helps older adults identify small, preventative changes that support confidence and independence at home. We are preparing a bid to the NIHR Public Health Research Programme on Housing, Place & the Built Environment for an Ageing Population and are looking for a small number of forward-thinking delivery partners. No commitment required.

Why this matters

Local authorities, housing providers and voluntary organisations face rising demand, widening inequalities, and mounting pressure to deliver scalable prevention. Yet many older adults experience early changes in confidence and home usability long before they reach thresholds for formal support — a gap where small actions can prevent escalation.

National policy (CMO's Health in an Ageing Society, 2023) calls urgently for earlier, home-focused interventions. Enabiva is that intervention.

How it works

Users complete a short guided reflection across four domains:

Function
Confidence
Environment
Support

Enabiva then generates a personalised Independence Plan with room-by-room suggestions and gentle follow-up nudges. A dedicated carer pathway reduces emotional load and improves family communication.

Accessible on mobile, desktop or tablet · Low-bandwidth · WhatsApp-enabled · Free to users in Research Mode

Designed with older adults and carers, including those with low digital confidence — so that reaching the people who need it most is built in from the start.

Theory of Change

Enabiva's logic rests on a simple, evidence-informed pathway:

Early Identification

Older adults reflect on daily activities, home environment and confidence — surfacing small changes before they escalate into risk.

Small, Targeted Actions

Enabiva generates a personalised Independence Plan with room-by-room suggestions — practical, achievable steps grounded in OT principles.

Improved Confidence

Users gain a clearer sense of what is within their control, reducing anxiety and building self-efficacy around daily living at home.

Delayed Escalation

By acting earlier, demand on formal services is reduced — fewer crises, hospital admissions, and care assessments triggered unnecessarily.

What Enabiva is — and is not

Enabiva IS

  • Non-clinical, preventative guidance
  • Occupational therapy‑informed (OT‑informed) and psychologically safe
  • Scalable across all housing tenures
  • Early-stage, pre-crisis support
  • Free to users in Research Mode

Enabiva IS NOT

  • A clinical assessment or diagnostic tool
  • A risk score or triage system
  • A medical device
  • A replacement for care services
  • A collector of clinical data or a substitute for statutory assessments
  • Collecting identifiable or clinical data — only non-clinical, anonymised data is collected in Research Mode

Partner with us

We are looking for delivery partners to help us explore:

  • Whether this type of intervention is relevant to your population or service
  • Where it could fit within existing pathways (prevention, housing, waiting lists, community services)
  • Whether your organisation may wish to participate in a future NIHR-funded evaluation

What partners gain:

  • Insight into early, preventative needs within their population
  • Anonymised data on confidence, home usability and support gaps
  • Evidence to support prevention strategies, housing plans and inequalities work
  • Participation in a fully-funded NIHR study — with minimal operational burden

Participation is light-touch. Enabiva is fully digital, requires no clinical oversight, and can be shared through existing communication channels.

Ready to explore fit?

We'd love a 20-minute conversation — no commitment, no prep needed.

Email us to arrange a call
info@enabiva.com  ·  enabiva.com

Jade Campbell — Founder & Intervention Lead, Enabiva

This briefing relates to a proposed NIHR Public Health Research Programme application and does not imply NIHR endorsement. Enabiva collects only non-clinical, anonymised data in Research Mode.