Engaging Older People
Engaging Older People
‘For too long the interests of older people have not been a high enough priority for government… My vision is for a society in which older people are given more say in how services are run…. We need to value and celebrate older people for the experience they bring, and the active contribution they can make’
(Tony Blair – Better Government for Older People programme)
Older People Today
There are almost 11 million people over pensionable age in the UK. Older people are the most rapidly growing age group of the population and make an immense contribution to the economy and society.
They make their mark on society as community leaders, carers, grandparents, volunteers, workers, business leaders, entrepreneurs and consumers. Despite this, older people are often marginalised or ignored. An interim report entitled ‘Excluded Older People’ by the national Social Exclusion Unit published earlier this year recognised that many people are still missing out on opportunities in later life with more than two million pensioners nationally living on low income.
Older people face significant barriers. They face both overt and covert discrimination in employment, health and social care and as consumers. Many older people may face additional prejudice with multiple forms of discrimination, for example,disabled women or older people who have a visual impairment. The issue of social exclusion amongst older people is analysed in detail in The Social Exclusion of Older People (2006) published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Much of this discrimination is based on the assumption that older people are less capable or less deserving of good treatment. The NHS National Service Framework for Older People prioritised ‘rooting out age discrimination’ as its primary standard and the Department of Health A New Ambition for Older People (2006) summarises the progress with implementing the National Service Framework for older people. Salford has a strategy for the Wellbeing of Older People published in 2006.
The older population is increasingly diverse. This trend will continue with rising numbers of older people from black and minority ethnic groups and growing inequality between the rich and poor. The older population will include increasing numbers of ‘baby boomers’ with different experiences and expectations from the current generations of older people.
Older People In Salford
Salford is a City of approximately 220,000 people. There are 70,899 people aged 50 and over living in Salford (2001 census), representing 32.8% of the population (32,250 are male; 38,649 are female). Whilst there are 35,120 people living in Salford who are over 65 years of age, representing 16.25% of the City’s population. Like most of our cities, the number of older people is a growing part of our community. The Office of National Statistics predict that in Salford that the age group which will experience the biggest growth will be those aged between 50 and 54. It is predicted that this group will grow by almost 3000 people between 2006 and 2016 and the cohort aged between 65-69 will grow by 1500. The Salford Annual Baseline Review 2006 gives more details on these changes.
Although the overall number of older people has increased in Salford, there are marked variations across the districts – there has been a decline in the numbers and the percentage of population of older people in the old ‘City of Salford’ and a strong growth in the west of the city. Ward profiles which include details on population are available on the city council's website. There is a significant percentage of all pensioner and lone pensioner households in Salford - 16 out of 20 wards in Salford have above the national average of pensioners living alone.
Historically Salford has been characterised by above average levels of poverty and deprivation. For older people this is reflected in: Lower life expectancy (75.4 years compared to a national average of 79 years); More people suffering from long term illness (23% of population against a norm of 18%) and Local estimates of older people with dementia or depression put the figure at 7,000, around twice the national prevalence rates.
Top Tips - Engaging Older People
The Good Practice IN Community Involvement Team have joined up with Age Concern Salford to create a handy information sheet that will get you started on the road to engaging older people.
Top Tips in Engaging Older People |
Local Strategy for the Wellbeing of Older People in Salford
The new strategy for well-being - Growing Older IN Salford was formally launched in May 2006. The strategy describes how the independence and well-being of people who are growing older in Salford will be promoted. It lists older people's priorities, aims and actions for the next 2 years, but also reflects their desire to be recognised as key contributors to Salford's communities.
The strategy has five building blocks:
- Involvement; “With us not for us” This strategy will propose effective models for engaging with older people to respond totheir wish to be at the heart of decision-making in communities and across the City rather than being seen as a group to be consulted. We want to work with older people to create an effective voice for them in Salford
- Tackling Ageism; “We’re not moaners and groaners” Older people want ageism to be confronted. They want to help create communitieswhich value and promote the contribution of older people, challenging stereotypes. They want to be involved and included in making decisions about the questions that affect their lives and the communities in which they live.
- Information; “To be able to make informed choices” People want good information and straightforward access to services as they grow older. Information needs to be available in clear language and traditional formats such as leaflets; they also want to be able to talk to “real” people to ask their questions. Information provision, however, should also reflect advances in communication, using to learn new communication skills.
- Inclusion; “Still being seen as active members of our communities” Local people who are growing older say that independence is about exercising choice and control. They also value interdependence: helping others as well as receiving helpthemselves.
- Measuring Progress Together; “How are we doing?" How can we improve things?” We also want to put arrangements in place whereby older people can hold public sector bodies to account in respect of their policies, priorities and planning their service delivery.
Useful sources of information
Listed below are some useful sources of information about older people and examples of good practice in the involvement of older people.
Age Concern England website – www.ace.org.uk This site also has a number of useful publications. Salford Age Concern Salford can be found at 108 Church Street, Eccles, Salford M30 0LH, telephone 0161 788 7300, email: admin@ageconcernsalford.org.uk The website under construction but its new address will be www.ageconcernsalford.org.uk
‘Opening Doors' – the needs of older lesbians and gay men’ – A literature review by Dr Annmarie Turnbull. A good source to check for what previous consultation work has already happened.
‘A Right to be Heard’ – Report of the Age Concern Wakefield District Talk-Back Project by Jenny Willis. A Good Practice Guide based on a diary method of recording the views of frail and housebound older people.
‘Voice and Choice Training Pack’ – a training pack for use with older people who have little or no experience of being involved in consultation activities. The ‘Voice and Choice’ course aims to provide groups of older people with an opportunity to develop their confidence and skills in becoming more involved in the decisions that affect their lives. If you would like to arrange for a ‘Voice and Choice’ session to be run with your local group, please contact Age Concern Salford on 0161 788 7300.
Help the Aged website – www.helptheaged.org.uk
Information on Help the Aged’s ‘Scrap It!’ campaign to end discrimination.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation website – www.jrf.org.uk
Includes information on recent research and publications such as:
‘Let’s move on’ report - Black and Minority Ethnic older people’s views on research findings by Jabeer Butt and Alex O’Neill. This research identified that older people said that they had been over-researched, with researchers often asking the same questions, or producing the same findings, as had been evident 15 years ago.
Older People as Researchers - The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a review of a research project where older people not only participated in research but were taking on the role as researchers themselves. The report gives an overview of the practicalities and pitfalls of using service users as researchers. To download a free copy of the report follow the link at:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/details.asp?pubID=757
RNIB publication:
‘Campaigning for Our Future’ – Good Practice Guide to Empowerment and Campaigning available from RNIB, Plumptre Court, 7 Poplar Street, Fisher Gate, Nottingham, NG11GP. This guide reports on a European Commission funded project that supported marginalised older visually impaired people to help them develop the confidence and skills to become their own advocates in campaigning on issues that they themselves identified.
Alzheimer’s Society website – www.alzheimers.org.uk
Access to their Reading List on User Consultation, including material about how to include users in assessments of services and research based on user consultation.
Personal Social Services Research Unit (University of Manchester)
‘Clear Voices’ - a good practice guide to involving older people and carers in strategic planning and service development has been published by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU). It is derived from the views of older people and carers on the practicalities of involvement and from research findings and relevant literature. The guide aims to help Local Implementation Teams (for the National Service Framework for Older People) and representative older people/carers to work together, although the principles on which it is based have a wider applicability. It provides a framework for older people and carers to work together with officers to agree a joint vision for the future, to audit current practice regarding lay involvement in decision-making, and to identify the barriers to progress. Further details about this publication are available at the PSSRU website: www.pssru.ac.uk
Involving Older People in Upheaval and Change to their Housing Environment – Housing 21
(The Triangle, Baring Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2NA – Tel: 01494 685200)
This report brings together contributions, based on research and practical experience from a number of organizations, on involving older tenants and staff in upheaval and change to their housing environment. The key themes that are covered are:
- refurbishing schemes for older people with dementia
- closing a sheltered scheme
- transferring accommodation to a new landlord
- involving tenants in remodelling a sheltered housing scheme.
The experiences detailed highlight the difficulties alongside the successes. All contributions however make an irrefutable case for the benefits of consultation and involvement, both as a natural right for older people, and as a help to the landlord and contractors in the refurbishment, closure or transfer process.
0161 793 2929