Volunteering as a generative act and contribution to a good life in older age: support by general practice through social prescribing - a qualitative focus group study protocol in Germany

Introduction: Loneliness and social isolation in older age are increasingly recognised as major public health concerns, associated with depression, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Despite this recognition, primary care lacks systematic approaches to address the social determinants of health in ageing populations. Social prescribing (SP)—the structured referral of patients to non-clinical, community-based activities by primary care professionals—has been proposed as a promising response to this gap. While SP is well established in the UK and increasingly implemented internationally, it remains largely unexplored in the German healthcare context. This study examines how volunteering as a form of generativity contributes to health and a good life in older age, and how general practice can support this through SP.