Our Hearing Voices column replaces our popular Hearing Voices Newsletter which has been your chance to have your voice heard on policy and campaigning issues that effect older people. Please Tell us your view either by letter to 31 Billing Rd Northampton NN1 5DQ or email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and see what people thought when you read the next issue of Age Concern News and Views.
The Quality of Care
The Care Quality Commission’s annual performance assessment review 2008/9 has shown that ratings for care homes for older people are lagging behind homes for younger age groups. The report clearly shows that many service providers are still not up to scratch on basic standards of care that are vital for the wellbeing and welfare of older people.
Many older people also cannot access the care and support they need at home because eligibility restrictions and a postcode lottery of service provision. By restricting home care to those who only meet the highest criteria‚ local councils deny many older people the care they need to live dignified and independent lives.
Tell us about your experience of standards in care homes or your experience of finding the care you or your loved ones need.
50 plus and recently redundant?
Men aged 50+ who have lost their jobs in the recession are at serious risk of being shut out of the labour market forever unless the Government takes urgent action. New figures reveal that older workers find it harder than any other age group to get back into work after being made redundant. Fewer t1 in 5 over 50s find employment within three months‚ compared to more than 40 per cent of 25-34 year olds. Within the 50+ age group‚ men are clearly faring the worst‚ with long term unemployment (6-12 months) more than doubling over the last year. Andrew Harrop‚ Head of Public Policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged said: “An end to the working lives of men in their 50s now will not only condemn them to an uncomfortable retirement‚ but will also deprive the recovering economy of their skills and experience‚ just when they are most needed.”
What support would you want in order to get back to work? Nobody wants to be forced to work passed the time when it is reasonable to retire but do you think that it is right to be able to force people to retire at 65?
Excess winter deaths are a national scandal
While the world is talking about global warming, ONS figures published 24.11.09‚ show the number of excess deaths has increased by half. The UK has more older people dying in winter‚ compared to the rest of the year‚ than countries with much more severe weather. One in five older people in the UK (20%) avoid heating certain rooms such as the bathroom and living room‚ against 13% in Germany and 5% in Sweden. Excess winter deaths of older people have remained stubbornly high in recent years‚ but last winter’s huge spike sounds a deafening wake-up call about the older population’s well-being if we have another cold snap. High winter mortality is an indirect indicator of the difficulties older people face in protecting themselves from the cold in the UK. Last winter‚ as temperatures plunged‚ rising inflation and soaring energy bills forced two in five older people to cut back on their heating to save money. If cash-strapped older people turn down the heating during a colder winter‚
this can easily lead to a rise in the numbers affected by cold-related illnesses‚ which contribute to the thousands of excess winter deaths each year
Top Tips to Fight the Freeze:
- Hot meals and drinks provide warmth and energy. Wear several layers of clothes and wrap up well when you go outside.
- Regular exercise generates heat. It can be as simple as doing household chores or a stroll to the shops.
- Get a free flu jab - If you’re over 65 or have a long-term health condition‚ you’re more vulnerable to the effects of flu.
- Shop around for the best energy rate. Contact your energy supplier and check if you are eligible for a discounted tariff.
- Get energy efficient - Improving your insulation‚ central heating‚ double glazing or draught-proofing could help keep your house warm and cut your bills.
- Check your benefits. You may be able to get a Warm Front grant to help pay for heating improvements‚ and your energy supplier may offer energy efficiency products like insulation free of charge.