Launch of the Social Exclusion and Ageing in Diverse Rural Communities
Healthy Ageing
Republic of Ireland
Start: 20/02/2012 - 10:00
End: 20/02/2012 - 13:00
Launch of the Social Exclusion and Ageing in Diverse Rural Communities
Date: Monday February 20th 2012
Venue: NUI Galway Campus
Description: This report, which was completed by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology in collaboration with the Healthy Ageing in Rural Communities research network, presents new findings on ageing and social exclusion in rural communities in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Funded by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland, the research involved island, remote, dispersed, village and near-urban sites and included focus group discussions with community stakeholders and 106 face-to-face interviews with older people from 10 communities across the island of Ireland. The findings highlight particular rural elements of social exclusion and the similarities and differences between the experiences of older people across the two jurisdictions. The report presents policy and practice recommendations based on the findings and a new conceptual framework for understanding age-related rural social exclusion.
The report will be launch by Minister Michelle O’Neil MLA and will involve a presentation of the key findings, followed by a panel discussion with national and international experts.
There are limited places available for the launch. To book please e-mail icsg@nuigalway.ie or telephone 091-495461 by February 10th.
Caught in the Web, Mapping Older People’s Information Pathways to Public Services
Care Systems
Republic of Ireland
Start: 07/02/2012 - 11:00
End: 07/02/2012 - 13:00
Caught in the Web, Mapping Older People’s Information Pathways to Public Services
Older and Bolder will launch a report on older people’s access to public services, prepared by Ms. Olga McDaid, researcher in Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11 a.m. in the Guinea & Florin Room, Westin Hotel, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2. All are welcome but pre-booking is essential. Please confirm your attendance to mary.cleary@olderandbolder.ie , tel. 01 8783623.
Age, income and food in Ireland
CARDI
Author:
Bantry White et al
Date published:
24 January, 2012
Region:
Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland
Publication type:
research
Poor diet among older people is an important public health issue, particularly as malnutrition contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Research suggests that older adults are particularly vulnerable to a compromised nutritional intake due to a range of physical, economic and social factors which influence food access, choice and behaviour. As a result, CARDI funded a study on demographic and socio-economic influences on food expenditure as part of its data mining programme in 2011. The resulting report, Age, income and food in Ireland (Bantry White et al., 2011) seeks to contribute to the emerging evidence base on food poverty and diet in older Irish people. It examines the demographic and socio-economic influences on food expenditure in the older populations in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
The Government must make reforming the care system a top priority
Transcript of the Open Letter Published today..
SIR €“ As a society we face a growing care challenge. We should celebrate the fact that we are all living longer lives, particularly disabled people and those with long-term conditions. But the unavoidable challenge we face is how to support the increasing number of people who need care. It is a challenge which we are failing to meet €“ resulting in terrible examples of abuse and neglect in parts of the care system.
This comes at huge cost to the dignity and independence of older and disabled people, but also to our society, family life and the economy. An estimated 800,000 older people are being left without basic care €“ lonely, isolated and at risk. Others face losing their homes and savings because of soaring care bills.
Disabled people are unable get the support they need to live their lives independently and be part of society.
Businesses are losing increasing numbers of experienced staff who are forced to give up work to care for older or disabled relatives. These carers can then be pushed to breaking point, providing round-the- clock care. Our NHS is also paying the price, as a lack of support leads to avoidable hospital admissions and then keeps older and disabled in hospital beds because they cannot be cared for at home.
We have a duty as a nation to change this €“ but it requires political leadership.
This summer, the independent Dilnot Commission into Funding of Care and Support published its recommendations. In response, the Government has committed to publishing a White Paper on Social Care by April. With new cross-party talks on the future of care, we are closer than ever to reaching a new consensus.
We urge the Government and the other party leaders to seize this opportunity for urgent, fundamental and lasting reform: delivering a social care system which can provide the well-funded and high-quality care and support we would all expect for ourselves and our families.
Dr Roger Wicks
Director, Research, Policy & Government Relations, Action on Hearing Loss
Gary Fitzgerald
Chief Executive, Action on Elder Abuse
Jane Ashcroft
Chief Executive, Anchor
Jeremy Hughes
Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society
Michelle Mitchell
Charity Director, Age UK
Otto Thoresen
Director General, Association of British Insurers
Rick Henderson
Chief Executive, Action for Advocacy
Caroline Waters
Director of People and Policy, BT plc; Chair, Employers for Carers
Dr Hamish Meldrum
Chairman, BMA Council
Hilton Dawson
Chief Executive, The British Association of Social Workers
Mark Ellerby
Managing Director, Bupa Care Services
Michael Adamson
Managing Director, British Red Cross
Mike Parsons
Founder and Chief Executive, Barchester Healthcare
Anne Roberts
Chief Executive, Crossroads Care
Baroness Campbell of Surbiton
Crossbench Peer
Baroness Meacher of Spitalfields
Crossbench Peer
Lord Low of Dalston
Crossbench Peer
Emily Holzhausen
Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Carers UK
Gavin Hayes
General Secretary, Compass
Gillian Guy
Chief Executive, Citizens Advice
Helen O€™Brien
Chief Executive, Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN)
Mel Flogdell
Head of HR Policy, Centrica Plc
Professor Sue Yeandle
Director, Centre for International Research on Care, Labour & Equalities, University of Leeds
Martin Green
Chief Executive, English Community Care Association
Andrew Harrop
General Secretary, Fabian Society
Bruce Moore
Chief Executive, Hanover
Rachael Byrne
Executive Director, Care & Support, Home Group
Baroness Greengross
Chief Executive, ILC-UK
Janet Morrison
Chief Executive, Independent Age
Simon Morris
Chief Executive, Jewish Care
Alex Turner
Managing Director, Listawood Ltd
Anthea Sully
Director , Learning Disability Coalition
Terence Stokes
Chief Executive, Lasa
Ciar¡n Devane
Chief Executive, Macmillan Cancer Support
Dr Kirstine Knox
Chief Executive, Motor Neurone Disease Association
Imelda Redmond
Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Marie Curie Cancer Care
Mark Goldring
Chief Executive, Mencap
Roger Davies
CEO, Methodist Homes (MHA)
Simon Gillespie
Chief Executive, MS Society
Arlene Wilkie
Chief Executive, Neurological Alliance
Elaine Kerr
Chief Executive, Norwood
Eve Richardson
Chief Executive, National Palliative Care Council
Jeremy Taylor
Chief Executive, National Voices
Mark Lever
Chief Executive, National Autistic Society
Oi Mei Li
Director, National Family Carers Network
Roger Phillips
Regional Vice President, Nutricia
Sue Bott
Director, National Centre for Independent Living
Liz Fenton
Chief Executive, Princess Royal Trust for Carers
Steve Ford
Chief Executive, Parkinson€™s UK
Lesley-Anne Alexander
Chief Executive, RNIB
Liz Sayce
Chief Executive, Radar
Matthew Taylor
Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Paul Jenkins
Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness
Gillian Morbey
Chief Executive, Sense
Alex Fox
Chief Executive, Shared Lives Plus
James Lloyd
Director, Strategic Society Centre
Jon Barrick
Chief Executive, The Stroke Association
Paul Woodward
Chief Executive, Sue Ryder Care
Brendan Barber
General Secretary, Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Lord Adebowale
Chief Executive, Turning Point
John Hannett
General Secretary, USDAW
Su Sayer
Chief Executive, United Response
Val Morrison
Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Social care leaving elderly to suffer 'terrible abuse', says expert coalition
In a letter published in the Telegraph a group of more than 60 government advisers, charity directors and independent experts said failure to meet the challenge of an ageing population was resulting in "terrible examples of abuse and neglect".
The signatories, who include representatives from the British Medical Association, Age UK and the TUC, called for cross-party support to secure "urgent, fundamental and lasting reform".
"The unavoidable challenge we face is how to support the increasing number of people who need care," they wrote.
"It is currently a challenge which we are failing to meet €“ resulting in terrible examples of abuse and neglect in parts of the care system.
"This comes at a huge cost to the dignity and independence of older and disabled people, but also to our society, family life and the economy.
"An estimated 800,000 older people are being left without basic care - lonely, isolated and at risk."
They said some people faced losing their homes and savings because of rising social care bills, while businesses were losing staff who were forced to give up work to care for relatives.
NHS hospitals were "paying the price" because of avoidable hospital admissions, they added.
The signatories backed proposals that no one should pay more than £35,000 for care bills during their lifetime.
According to the BBC, cross-party talks about the care given to the elderly and disabled will resume this month. A White Paper is due to be published in April.
The care services minister Paul Burstow told the Telegraph the government was "taking leadership on this issue".
He said the coalition agreed the reform of social care was an "urgent priority", adding: "We have put an extra £7.2bn for social care over the course of this parliament."
I wonder how we would fare over on this side of the Irish Sea... Better or worse... but more needs to be done.
South of the Border -
Ballroom of romance
On Saturday 28th November The Voice of Older People held its first South of the Border Ballroom of Romance in Ballyshannon. The dramatic part of the evening was presented by the Ballytour Players under the directorship of Maura Logue.
The company also joined us on Wednesday 2nd and Saturday 5th December in Donegal Town and Ardara where the craic was mighty!
We have commissioned Maura to work with groups in all our 7 network areas if there is a demand and so if you and your members would like to re-live those days of the 50’s Parish Hall dances and are willing to commit several weeks to rehearsals please let us know.
Fortunately the three dances were held in local hotels who were generous enough to give us their venue free of charge as they were happy to be associated with a community event like this one; perhaps you would like to run the evening as a fund-raiser? The Donegal Town groups asked that some of their door money go to a local charity, Blue Stacks Foundation.
The Milford 65+ Group are holding a fund-raising dance on Friday, 26th February and any one looking for a different night out and a bit of a laugh should mark this date in their diary.
AGM Details
On Thursday 12th November the Voice of Older People, Donegal held its Annual General Meeting in the Isaac Butt Visitor’s Centre in Cloghan.
The meeting was attended by our accountant, Dessie Lynch from Brian McDaid & Company, who presented the Company’s accounts and chaired the election of the new committee and directors.
Due to the resignation of 3 directors during the year there was no requirement for any of the attending directors to step down. Mary McGeehan (Buncrana), Breege Connor (Bundoran) and Angela Apitius (Letirmacaward) were all nominated and agreed to join our Board. The committee paid tribute to Roisin Lee who has stepped down from the committee on health grounds.
Our current Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer were all thanked for their work over the past year and re-elected unopposed.
Staff gave an outline of the work that the Project is planning over the next year, including the development and support of the seven networks, the working with Donegal County Council to building of a “Older Adult-Friendly County” and the introduction of training for members interested in expanding their advocacy and leadership skills.
The Company would like to thank all those who attended the meeting, and the staff at the visitors centre who looked after us so well.
The Voice of Older People is managed by a fourteen-person Management Committee, elected annually at our AGM. The date of this meeting is circulated to all the groups and individuals on our data base.
The staff are based in The Volt House in Raphoe and are always contactable for advice and information sharing.
