Age uk medway winter 2015

AGE UK MAGAZINE WINTER 2015

AGE UK Salute to the 40s

Medway

AGE UK Medway Charity shop

AGE UK & JOHN LEWIS

LAUNCH CHRISTMAS PARTNERSHIP AGE UK AND JOHN LEWIS + PUZZLE PAGE + BEANSTALK + CHRISTMAS T-SHIRTS + MORE INSIDE

MM Coachlines is a family run coach holiday and day excursions company established within the Medway Towns since 1997.

‘The Pearl of Wales’ on the Shores of Snowdonia and Porthmadog, a harbour coastal town rich in maritime history.

Our business has been built on the care and personal service which we provide to many regular customers who enjoy our good value coach holidays and day excursions.

We are delighted to present our 2016 Programme with a fablous selection of Holiday and Day Excursions, which includes our FREE Holiday Door to Door Service. Terms and conditions apply)

Join us and experience some fabulous breaks Book now for an early super saver break in the popular seaside resort of Bournemouth, renowned for being one of Europe’s most fashionable desinations. Discover Delightful Devon with stunning scenery, the unspoilt resort of Sidmouth and charming Cathedral Quarter in Execter.

Enjoy The Wonders of Wales where we visit Criccieth, a historic town known as

PLEASE CALL US FOR A BROCHURE Group Organisers of Clubs & Associations We can tailor make any coach holiday or day trip to suit your individual requirements. Coaches are available on a private hire basis.

All holidays & day excursions detailed on the website are available to groups or part groups.

You could be in the Algarve, relaxing in the sun...

A spacious 1 bedroom apartment with shared swimming pool. The apartment is situated on the top floor of a 3 storey block.

Sleeps 4 Quiet location, but only 5 mins walk to the marina and another 5 mins to the town centre Nov - Mar £190 Apr & Oct £255 May & Sept £290 June £330 July & Aug £410

Self Catering Holiday Apartment

Phone Judith on 01536 711884 www.algarveestatemanagement.co.uk apt meia

• Twin bedroom.

• Open plan kitchen & lounge.

• The kitchen has a 4-ring hob, oven, microwave, toaster and washing machine.

• Family sized bathroom.

• The lounge has a sofa (which converts into two single beds) and a table to seat four.

• A TV, DVD and CD player are also available.

• Patio doors open onto the balcony, offering views over the pool and across Lagos.

• Ample parking space in front of the building.

Contents List Winter 2015

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16

Medway

Cover Image

© Jenny Sturm/www.shutterstock.com

17 19

Meet the team…

Editor

John Norley Tel: 01634 572616 Email: johnnorley@ ageukmedway.org.uk

Age UK Medway

20 Age UK Salute to the 40s................... 06 OQS visit..................... 07

12 No one should have no one at Christmas..................... 14

Age UK Medwey Charity shop............... 07

60% of older people don’t expect festive happiness.................... 15

Gogglebox June & Leon teamup with Age UK....................... 08

Age UK and John Lewis................... 16

Social Isolation Summit ...................... 08

Christmas T-shirts........ 17

Puzzle page................ 09 Star-studded Love Christmas carol concert........................ 10 Beanstalk..................... 12

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The Admirals Offices, Main Gate Road, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ

Sales

Laurence Rowe Tel: 01536 526662 Email: laurence@ lancepublishing.co.uk

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Publisher

Lance Publishing Ltd 1st Floor Tailby House Bath Road Kettering NN16 8NL Tel: 01536 512624 Fax: 01536 515481 Email: mike@ lancepublishing.co.uk Web: www.lancepublishing.co.uk

Printer

Lance Print Ltd Tel: 01733 390564

Go On UK..................... 19

This magazine is produced on behalf of Age UK Medway by Lance Publishing Ltd. All rights are reserved by the charity and no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the charity. Age UK Medway will accept no responsibility for, or necessarily agree with, any claims made or views expressed in this publication, nor does the mention of any product, service or advertisement imply a recommendation by Age UK Medway. Reg. Charity No. 1133023

Social Care Funding....................... 20 Women twice as likely to have an empty Pension pot......22

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

Welcome, from the CEO

Welcome to the latest edition of Engage, Age UK Medway’s magazine for our service users, volunteers and supporters.

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e are looking forward to Christmas now, with lots happening in our centres to celebrate the holiday season.

It is good to reflect on our work too as we reach the end of the year, and there has been much to celebrate in the charity. This year we have successfully increased our Dementia service to offer additional places at a new dementia suite in our Gillingham centre, and we have successfully increased the reach into our community through all of our other services too, meaning that more people are supported, and that is crucial as winter draws near.

The staff and volunteers of the charity have also been working hard to demonstrate our value, in order to meet a

tough set of Quality guidelines, laid down by the national Charity Age UK. In October 2015, Age UK Medway was formally assessed against the quality standards, and have now received a glowing report of compliance. We have been awarded the Age UK Organisational quality standards, and this will be reflected in our publications and communications very soon, with a new logo added to our publicity.

We do work incredibly hard in the charity, and stand by our commitment to ensure that every customer, has a quality experience every time.

Happy Christmas everyone, and thank you all for your continued support of our work.

John Norley Chief Executive Officer

WINTER 2015 | 5

Age UK Medway takes a stand at

“Salute to the 40s”

for the third year running!

Each year for the last three years, Age UK Medway has joined in the fun at “Salute to the 40s” which is full of nostalgia and is now established as one of the best Vintage Festivals in Britain held at the Historic Dockyard, Chatham!

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t is full of atmosphere with vintage fashion, historic vehicles and hundreds of re-enactors. It is literally like being transported back in time! Wartime vehicles, evacuees and people dressed in their best 1940s attire bring the site alive creating a truly vintage atmosphere.

Dance troupes and 1940s entertainers, perform all day and Karen Treacy, Age UK

Medway’s Trading & Campaign Manager joined in to learn the Lindy Hop with the havea-go sessions for visitors!

The weekend held on 19th and 20th September 2015, celebrated the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which many consider as the beginning of the road to the end of the war. It was also the 70th anniversary of the launch of the Historic Dockyard’s own Second World War Destroyer “HMS Cavalier”.

The spirit of Kent spitfire flew overhead and guns were fired.

Staff and volunteers, from Age UK Medway, whose Head offices are based in the Historic Dockyard, gladly gave their weekend to man the Age UK Medway stand, and joined

the many stalls selling 1940s’ merchandise. Our Trustee, Katrina Festorazzi, kindly volunteered her weekend and her skills as a professional photographer to offer visitors a photo opportunity 1940s style!

Josephine Groves from the Age UK Charity shop in Skinner Street, Gillingham saved items over a period of a year, which comprised of vintage clothes, bric-a-brac, and all sorts of other items from the 1940s. These were displayed on our Age UK stand, and this year we raised a massive £850, which is more than double that was raised last year. The funds raised have gone towards supporting the vital services

that Age UK Medway provide for the older people in Medway, including Home from Hospital, Information & Advice, Dementia and Homecare services.

“Salute to the 40s” is held every year, and Age UK Medway will be there again to join in the fun and raise vital funds for Age UK Medway.

OQS visit T

he standard is a quality benchmark designed by Age UK, the National charity, to ensure that each local brand partner offers services and manage the charity appropriately, and also to ensure that the services we provide are continually reviewed for quality.

To achieve the standard is important, in order to belong to the Age UK family.

Age UK Medway started

Age UK Medway has been working towards a quality park for the past few months, the Age UK Organisational Quality standard.

our process of assessment back in June 2015, and all staff and volunteers worked extremely hard to gather evidence of what we do, and how we do it, in preparation for an assessment visit, by SGS, a company engaged to carry out the quality audit.

ON the 29th September, SGS visiting our Head office, and interviewed two groups of people, the first being

Age UK Medway Charity shop

staff and volunteers, the second being our trustees.

The assessor also took the day to look around the sites, and examine all of the evidence that had been presented to him, against each of the standards we wanted to meet.

It was a long day, for everyone involved, and the culmination of many months of hard work across the charity.

W

ith winter now upon us the shop has a great stock of winter woollies now on sale, alongside lots of coats, jackets and boots. Now is a great time to pop in for a bargain!

At the end of the day, the assessor gave some positive feedback, but it was only when we received the formal report, a few weeks after the visit, that we realised we had passed the assessment with flying colours!!

We have now received our certificate, and will include the quality mark in our branding.

Our friendly little shop based at 19 Skinner Street, Gillingham will give you the ultimate shopping experience in the words of our customers, ‘The best charity shop ever’.

Once visited - never forgotten.

We are now running our ever popular tombola always a big hit with our customers your chance of winning lots of lovely prizes at just 50p a ticket.

All proceeds from our shop goes to the elderly generation of Medway so is helping the people of your community. Not many charities can say that.

We are dependent on your generous donations which, are always gratefully received. So any clothing, bric-a-brac, small electricals, toys etc. you no longer require please think of us.

Collections can be arranged.

If you require this, please ring the Gillingham Centre on 01634 380195 and a collection will be arranged for you.

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www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

WINTER 2015 | 7

Gogglebox’s June & Leon team up with Age UK

Puzzle Page

Quick Quiz

Solutions to all three puzzles can be found on page 23

Test your general knowledge in our Quick Quiz.

1. What are the colours on the Ukrainian flag?

Suduko

To help Age UK Medway support lonely older people and donate, go to www. ageuk.org.uk/medway

G

ogglebox stars June and Leon have teamed up with Age UK to help raise awareness of loneliness as part of our No one should have no one at Christmas campaign.

The advert was shown for the first time during Gogglebox on Friday 4 December and then every week up to Christmas, including the festive Christmas show.

This is the first time the

M

edway held its first Tackling Social Isolation Summit on the 8th December, looking at the issues of loneliness and social isolation across Medway with the focus on older people.

The summit was facilitated

by Medway Health and Wellbeing Board and held at Gillingham Football Club and saw many organisations taking part including Kent Fire and Rescue, British Red Cross, Carers First,

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much-loved pair have backed a national charity campaign and it sees them discussing the awfulness of being alone at Christmas.

In true Gogglebox style June & Leon are shown in their living room watching Age UK’s advert together commenting on the plight of the million older people who can go a month without speaking to anyone.

The couple go on to talk about how they have always

looked after each other and later, Leon is seen wiping a tear from his eye.

Lack of festive cheer

New figures announced show that more than 340,000 older people across the country are already worried about feeling lonely this Christmas and just over 300,000 over 65s are not looking forward to the festive season because they will be on their own.

Esther Jackson, Marketing

Social Isolation Summit Insight, Imago, Medway Pensioners Forum, Strood Community Project, wHoo Cares & WALT, CAB, Medway Council, Medway Community Healthcare, Medway NHS Foundation Trust and ourselves to name a few.

This Summit offered the opportunity to hear a keynote speech from Dr Kellie Payne from the campaign to end loneliness have a cross agency discussion on the

effects of loneliness on people’s lives, the different types and causes of loneliness and isolation and what support can be offered to people, particularly the elderly to reduce the amount of time they have alone.

The event included a Market Place where the services and support services of organisations were promoted and the opportunity to discuss these with front line staff.

and Fundraising Director at Age UK, said: ‘Gogglebox is an incredibly powerful medium and we hope this collaboration will help us to highlight the issue of loneliness with a wide audience in a way that resonates and creates a real emotional connection.

‘Loneliness can be devastating and mounting evidence shows that it has a serious impact on a person’s mental and physical health.’

2. Milford Haven is located in which Welsh county?

The Game of Logic Place each of the digits 1 to 9 in each row, column and 3x3 box. There is only one solution.

Wordsearch SNOWFLAKES CHRISTMAS COLD SNOWMEN FROST GLOVES SLEDDING WINTER SLEIGH HAT COAT

Our CEO, John Norley was interviewed regarding the issues of social isolation by journalists from BBC Radio Kent and ITV Meridian.

3. Who was the first British actress to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards?

S L E D D I N G I C

N N N B A T H E Y O

O C O L D A A N B A

W S C W I N T E R T

F E U T M O U R H Z

L R N D S E V O L G

A G O I T E N F D B

K U I S L E I G H Q

E L H R T H C A E B

S A M T S I R H C S

Engage with us…

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e are looking to create a ‘Engage with us’ page where readers write into the magazine with their thoughts, views on topics raised in the magazine or support they have received from Age UK Medway or your story.

Please write to the editor at Engage Magazine, Age UK Medway, The Admirals

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

Offices, Main Gate Road, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ. We look forward to hearing from you next time… the next edition will be the Spring edition so if you have any thoughts, concerns or stories to tell please write in and we will feature it in our next magazine. It could be about your summer holiday, new years or Valentine’s day.

4. The character Elsie Lappin spoke the first line in which popular TV show?

5. Don Revie left which English football club to become England manager in 1974?

6. In 1983 who became the first woman to train a Grand National winner?

7. James VI & I succeeded which English monarch?

8. During which war was the Victoria Cross introduced?

9. The Uffizi gallery can be found in which Italian city?

10. Which novel won Roddy Doyle the Booker Prize in 1993?

11. ‘Cete’ and ‘colony’ are collective names for which animal?

12. What orbits the nucleus of an atom?

WINTER 2015 | 9

Age UK’s star-studded Love Christmas carol concert

invest in community care for older people.

Age UK’s star-studded ‘Love Christmas’ carol concert, held at St Marylebone Parish Church, London, on Thursday 10 December 2015, has raised £50,000 to help tackle loneliness through our vital national and local services.

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arbara Windsor MBE described it as ‘a truly magical evening.’ The festive fundraiser, sponsored by E.ON, was hosted by TV’s Penny Smith, with musical performances from opera singer Lesley Garrett CBE and Opera Holland Park, seasonal readings from celebrities including Barbara Windsor MBE, Jon Culshaw, Kevin Whately and Kathy Lette, and traditional Christmas carols.

Loneliness at Christmas Money raised at Love Christmas will help us make a crucial difference to the lives of older people. According to research by Age UK, more than a million older people say they haven’t spoken to a friend, neighbour or family member for over a month.

We want to combat this by providing companionship, advice and support for older people facing later life alone.

Penny Smith, an Age UK Ambassador, said ‘I’ve had the pleasure of hosting Age UK’s Love Christmas carol concert many times and I’m always amazed by the generous support we receive.

Many of us enjoy a good celebration at this time of the year however loneliness can make the outlook bleaker.’

How Age UK can help Age UK helps to prevent and reduce loneliness by supporting a range of services and activities such as a

1 0 | WINTER 2015

friendly telephone call, weekly visits, social activities such as lunch clubs, exercise classes, and tea-dances, advice when there’s nowhere to turn, and the chance to get out and about in the local community, all of which play a crucial part in helping make later life better. Regular contact from local Age UK services can be life-changing and give older people the confidence they need to feel more connected and less isolated.

Older people and their families can get in touch with Age UK to find out how the Charity could help someone who may be feeling lonely by calling Age UK Advice for free on 0800 169 2081.

Last month, we kicked off our No one should have no one at Christmas campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the loneliness epidemic among older people at Christmas. To help Age UK support lonely older people by donating, volunteering or signing our petition calling on Government to take action go to: www. ageuk.org.uk/christmas.

E.ON is the headline sponsor of Love Christmas.

Ageas, Dignity and Rothesay Life are also sponsoring the event.

Age UK’s petition to save social care On Monday 23 November, campaigners from Age UK handed in a petition of over 50,000 signatures to Downing Street in a call for Government to put an end to its catastrophic cuts to adult social care.

T

he petition is the latest phase of Age UK’s Care in Crisis campaign, which demands urgent investment in and

reform of the social care system.

The Don’t Cut Care petition, which was launched only in September, calls on the Government to

Online services leave older people without support A new report published

by Age UK warns that moving public services online without providing sufficient support for those who are ‘offline’ could leave some of the poorest older people without vital support.

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he move to online services can make it harder for older people who are ‘offline’ to access vital services and could deter people from seeking the support they need.

New figures published in our report, ‘Later life in a digital world’ show a clear link between internet use, socio-economic group and age, providing evidence that it is the poorest older people who are most likely to be offline – and therefore lose out on essential services.

Around four out of five people

aged 75 and over in the lowest socio-economic groups do not currently use the internet.

Although increasing numbers of older people are getting online, there remains a stark difference in internet use between the youngest and oldest age groups.

Virtually all young adults have recently used the internet (99%), but this falls to 71% of those aged 65 to 74 and just 33% of those aged 75 and over.

Online services are another barrier for those most in need The move to online services presents a further barrier for those who most need support.

Every year, some of the poorest older people in the UK miss out on £3.7 billion of pension credit and housing benefit alone – either because they don’t realise they are entitled, feel too proud or embarrassed to claim, or because they

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

The reality of social care cuts Day to day tasks that the rest of us take for granted – like getting dressed, using the toilet, making a meal, or going to the shops – can be almost impossible for many older people without help. Older people should be able to live well, not just survive, and the right care and support can help them do this.

Currently, more than a million older people are left to struggle each day without any support.

And this number is growing all the time across the country.

Squeezed funding means the pressures on care providers have intensified dramatically and it has become ever harder for them to recruit and retain care staff. believe the claiming process is too complicated and they don’t like asking for help.

In more and more areas, people are encouraged to claim housing benefit online. The increased pressure is likely to be an additional barrier to obtaining support unless suitable and easily accessible alternate ways to claim are always available.

Non-internet users at a disadvantage Despite the Government’s pledge to ensure ‘assisted digital’ support for those who are not online, people who do not use the internet can still often be at a disadvantage.

For example, the new HMRC Marriage Allowance – which lets people who are married or in civil partnerships transfer unused personal tax allowance to their partner – was launched in April 2015 originally as an exclusively online service. A telephone option is now available but has been given little publicity. This is all the more surprising, given that over a third of couples who are expected to benefit from the allowance are pensioners.

Damaging cuts to funding for care at home mean that many older people are sacrificing their dignity because they can’t get the support they need. This is because unlike GPs or local hospitals, services to help people stay safe and independent at home are mainly arranged by local councils, whose budgets have been subject to stringent cuts for many years now.

Age UK’s calls for action Age UK is looking to the Government to take action on three fronts: • Work with the NHS to strengthen the capacity of GPs and community health services – so older people can get the healthcare they need at home.

• Fully fund the introduction of

The digital divide in later life To understand more about the digital divide in later life, we undertook some qualitative research with older users and non-users of the internet. The majority of the internet users felt that the internet is hugely positive, making life easier, more convenient and cheaper, whilst also helping them to keep in touch with friends and family, and feel better informed.

The research with non-internet users revealed deeply entrenched barriers to use the internet. Many simply feel that the internet is ‘not for them’ and any benefits are outweighed by major barriers to being online – most do not believe that there is anything lacking in their lives because they are not online and raised issues such as a lack of digital skills and security, with many concerned that the internet is an ‘unsafe’ place.

The so-called advantages to being online are not necessarily seen in the same way by nonusers. For example, while internet users generally feel that being online is more convenient and saves time, those older people who are not online typically prefer

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

the new Living Wage into care homes and home care providers – to save the social care sector from complete collapse.

• Fund local authorities sufficiently for them to rebuild preventive services for older people and offer a lot more social care support – so older people no longer have to struggle alone, putting their health at risk.

Earlier this year the Government announced it was not going to implement the Dilnot cap on care costs, saving the Exchequer an estimated £6bn. Age UK reluctantly agreed this was the right approach, but only on the basis that £6bn would be invested in sustaining social

care. Now the Government must fulfil its responsibilities to older people by using the money for this purpose and not diverting it elsewhere.

‘Many older people depend on both to be able to continue to live independently at home.

Yet years of local authority cuts at a time when the population is ageing have substantially weakened the safety net of local community services, throwing older people back on their own resources and meaning a growing number are not being properly looked after at home,’ said Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, ‘This is why more and more older people are going into hospital and then getting stuck there – because the follow up health and care support in the community is insufficient.’

to do their shopping or other chores in person as they feel it offers the benefits of getting out of the house and meeting people face-to-face. Given the epidemic of loneliness among older people in this country, perhaps this is not so surprising.

Even among those who have no interest in the internet, some participants reported feeling frustrated that at times it is becoming difficult to live in an increasingly digital world. Some have accessed the internet via friends and family out of necessity but while this help is generally appreciated, some reported feeling inadequate and embarrassed at having to ask for help to complete a simple task.

inclusion, great user-friendly technology and design, and appropriate alternative access for people who are not online’.

We are calling on organisations that provide online services to recognise that is it not always possible or appropriate to suggest people get help from others.

Age UK delivers a number of UK-wide digital inclusion programmes and campaigns working with many local and national partners. We support those in later life who want to go online to benefit from internet access and technologies at all stages of engagement through taster sessions, on-going courses and outreach programmes.

Greater support and alternative access needed Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said that ‘In order to ensure that those who do not use the internet are not disadvantaged by digital transformation in the public and private sectors, we need three complementary approaches: greater support from Government and the industry to increase digital

For more information or one of our free guides to help people stay safe online and make the most of the internet, call Age UK Advice free of charge on 0800 169 65 65 or if you have internet access visit www.ageuk. org.uk/work-and-learning/ technology-and-internet

WINTER 2015 | 11

I usually choose to read first and here I stick to Beanstalk principles and let the children pick the text. My children are all young so we like stories where we can shout or shriek or make animal noises. Did I mention I was loud as well as greedy?

In the middle of the session we choose from activities like crosswords, join the dots and drawing - all of which let us talk together as we work. At the end we play games. I like to pretend that I will thrash them and then grow increasingly surprised as they do well. As I take them back I generally have to warn them quite sternly that they must lose next time!”

About 70% of Beanstalk’s volunteers are retired persons.

Andrew Cole, an employee of the charity stated: “a lot of older people don’t feel confident that they could do it. I always tell people that the most important thing is a kind heart and a real will for the child to do well. As you spend a year with the same three children, you have time for a real connection to form, and that’s often the most important thing.”

Volunteers needed in Medway to bring the joy back into reading

Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that transforms children’s life chances by supporting volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading.

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eading is arguably one of the most crucial parts of learning for any child. Not only to be successful academically but also in everyday tasks.

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

reading levels, increase overall confidence and help them gain the vital literacy skills they need to succeed in education, training and employment.

Each Beanstalk reading helper works with three children and sees each child for two 30 minute sessions a week, during term-time, for a whole year. Together, they read, play and talk.

With Beanstalk’s support the child’s approach to learning and enjoying reading is often transformed.

Members of the local

community who are passionate about reading and supporting children to achieve are encouraged to come forward and volunteer their time as reading helpers.

A reading helper provided the following story of a day in his life as a reading helper: “I am a large and greedy person with an overdeveloped interest in food. This gives me the advantage of always having an opening line when I pick up my children - “What did you have for lunch today”?”

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

If you would like to find out more, call us for a chat on 020 7729 4087 or you can read more and apply on our website at www. beanstalkcharity.org.uk

Beanstalk’s latest volunteer survey showed that: • 98% would recommend becoming a reading helper to other people • 64% felt more like a part of their community In Medway, particular help is needed, as the towns came joint bottom of the national league tables. A council initiative has been launched, known as Get Medway Learning, to tackle the problem at its roots, Beanstalk has been asked to recruit, train, vet and support 95 Reading Helpers to be placed in schools as soon as possible.

During the last academic

Image © donatas1205/Shutterstock

Beanstalk

Yet, somehow, there are one in six children leaving primary school unable to read to the expected level.

In fact, when you consider that 48% of prisoners are at or below the standard reading age of an 11 year old and that only one in five prisoners are able to complete an application form, the importance of reading becomes even more apparent.

Beanstalk reading helpers work with children on a oneto-one basis, giving them consistent support to improve

year Beanstalk supported over 10,000 children across the UK. Children who previously made no or very little progress, made on average higher than the expected typical progress.

93% of the young children supported by Beanstalk reading helpers during the 2013-2014 year showed meaningful improvement in their reading level.

Beanstalk is searching for compassionate and caring members of the local community to volunteer as Reading Helpers in primary schools nationwide, with a particular appeal across Medway and Kent.

Can you spare just 90 minutes twice a week to make a difference to a child?

Full training and support is provided. If you have a passion for reading and can share this with a child then do please make contact.

WINTER 2015 | 13

60%

No one should have No one at Christmas

of older people don’t expect festive happiness

Image © Evgeny Karandaev / shutterstock

While many of us are looking forward to spending time with family and friends, new research from Age UK shows 60% of people aged 65 or over aren’t expecting festive happiness to be a part of their Christmas this year.

And yet this year many older people will have no one to share it with.

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ill you help us answer a call from a lonely older person and give them much-needed support?

More than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

Contrary to what many people think, loneliness is not a normal part of ageing, and it not only makes life miserable, it can have a serious impact on your physical and mental health too.

Unless we act, our rapidly ageing population means we’ll see ever greater numbers

1 4 | WINTER 2015

of lonely older people and, because loneliness undermines resilience, this also means more pressure on our already stretched NHS and social care services.

We want to draw attention to this big issue for older people, mobilising the public to help prevent and alleviate it, and we also want to encourage the Government to take action.

What are we calling for?

We want local and national government to understand that older people’s loneliness really matters; that it’s a serious public health problem and not a normal part of ageing, and we want them to commit to take action with us to prevent and tackle it.

National and local

government both have a part to play. We need their commitment to work with Age UK and many others to: • Find out where older people at risk of loneliness are – and local Age UKs have tools to do this • Identify what works best in preventing and tackling loneliness, and create the circumstances in which this can be put into actions (including by providing funding) • Listen to what older people say would help them to avoid and overcome loneliness, and respond in a way that respects their preferences.

We need your help Loneliness definitely can’t be fixed by Government alone,

we all have a role to play: • as individuals – by being friendly to the older people around us • as families – by making the effort to stay in touch with older relatives, beyond our immediate family and those living nearby • as communities – by actively supporting our local Age UK and other voluntary groups that help older people to have fun, make new friends and enjoy the company of others.

We want to draw attention to this big issue for older people, mobilising the public to help prevent and alleviate it, and we also want to encourage the Government to take action.

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

T

he findings come as Age UK launches its No one should have no one at Christmas campaign, raising awareness and tackling the heart breaking fact that the festive season will be a very lonely time of year for many older people.

Among those aged 65 or over, 61% said that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without spending time with their children or grandchildren, the top choice when asked what they wouldn’t be without this festive season.

Topping the list of worries for older people is missing loved ones who have passed away (42%), followed by the fear of not being about to see everyone they want to over Christmas (29%).

Just 14% of people aged 65 and over said they expected Christmas parties to be part of their festive celebrations, with only a third anticipating festive drinks with friends or neighbours.

Only 23% of those polled aged 18-34 say they plan to spend Christmas with their grandparents and just under half (48%) of those aged 25-54 say they plan to spend it with their parents.

No one should have no one at Christmas The No one should have No one at Christmas campaign highlights that more than a million older people say they haven’t spoke to a friend, neighbour or family member for over a month.

Last year Age UK also found that 400,000 people aged 65 and over in the UK were worried about being lonely over Christmas.

The survey also reveals the worries the nation has about loneliness: nearly half of UK adults (41%) admit to being worried about being alone in later life.

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

In addition, nearly a third of people (27%) simply consider loneliness part of life – but when thinking about people facing a lonely Christmas, 46% of people feel sad about it and 16% are worried about friends and family who will be spending Christmas on their own.

Age UK is asking everyone to check in on older neighbours, relatives and friends, and sign its petition calling the government to recognise loneliness as a serious health problem and commit to action to help tackle it.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said: ‘The festive season is usually a time for celebration with those you love, but for too many older people it can reinforce feelings of loss, loneliness and of life passing them by.

‘Contrary to what many people think, loneliness is not a normal part of ageing, and it not only makes life miserable, it can have a serious impact on physical and mental health too.

‘Today, many families

are widely dispersed so it is certainly true that visiting older relatives can be challenging.

But as our research shows, making the effort to keep in touch often makes an enormous difference to older people who tend to be stoical and therefore reluctant to admit how lonely they are.

‘We all have a role to play as individuals, families and communities in ensuring older people feel valued and included and that’s why we’re asking everyone to join us in taking action. By donating and signing our petition you can help older people to enjoy the festive season and the year to come; everyone should have someone at Christmas.’

Celebrities attending event on London’s South Bank Age UK created a ‘live’ version of its No one should have no one at Christmas advert in London’s South Bank with a specially-created snow globe and celebrities Sylvia Syms, Diana Moran, Lionel Blair and Brian Murphy stepped into the role to raise awareness of the issue.

Members of the public were invited to sit within the globe to find out more about loneliness and why it is such a serious problem.

Dame Judi Dench said: ‘I’ve come to know that the most important thing in life as you get older is the people around you. Like many others, I eagerly await the arrival of loved ones at Christmas and without them the festive celebrations just wouldn’t be the same.

‘So it’s heartbreaking to think of those who will have no one at all to share these special occasions. Age UK is trying to change this: help them to help an older person this festive season and support its No one should have no one at Christmas campaign.’

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Show someone they’re loved this Christmas

Age UK and John Lewis launch Christmas partnership

1 6 | WINTER 2015

into public consciousness and drive vital donations to help us provide companionship, advice and support through a range of services.

‘We also hope it will continue to get people talking about this important issue and inspire action – and we all have a role to play as individuals, families and communities in helping ensure older people feel valued and included so that no one feels lonely at Christmas time, or any other time of the year.’

Craig Inglis, Customer Director at John Lewis said: ‘We have been overwhelmed by the

response of the Man on the Moon and are delighted that it has helped to raise awareness of the issue of loneliness amongst older people. We are proud to continue our commitment to Age UK and this important cause by supporting their fundraising appeal and through the involvement of the Partners (staff) in our shops.’

As the festive season approaches we are calling on people to remember those facing Christmas alone and help make a difference to older people’s lives by donating £5 today and texting ‘MOON’ to 70111 or go to www. ageuk.org.uk/moon.

Delivering companionship and support The money raised will help us to deliver companionship, advice and support through a range of services, including the Charity’s national advice line, which is open 365 days of the year, including Christmas Day.

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

T

his year, Age UK Medway are selling Christmas themed t-shirts to help raise awareness of the social isolation of the elderly residents of Medway. Every year hundreds of elderly residents of Medway face the sad prospect of being alone on Christmas day.

Because of this, we’ve created two t-shirt designs as an alternative to Christmas jumpers this Christmas.

local community, while also tackling loneliness one t-shirt at a time.

Both of these t-shirts can be seen and bought from the t-boom website, under the search of “Age UK Medway”.

All of the proceeds from the t-shirt sales will go directly to Age UK Medway to help to continue to provide great quality services for the

Answers & Solutions from page 9

© www.johnlewis.com

T

he next stage of our Christmas partnership with John Lewis was launched on Friday 20th November, to call for support for the million older people who can go a month without speaking to anyone.

Now we are calling for more people to help by donating to the Charity.

Donations will fund services that help some of the one million older people who go for a month without speaking to anyone and have nowhere else to turn.

Help make a difference The campaign is being launched with a fundraising appeal featuring unseen footage from the set of John Lewis’s Man on The Moon advert, narrated by Dame Helen Mirren and made by John Lewis for Age

UK. The appeal highlights the loneliness some older people may experience this Christmas and calls on viewers to help make a difference.

John Lewis shops across the country will be fundraising as well as pairing up with a local Age UK to support a Christmas lunch or social event. Every shop will also include a local Age UK as part of its Community Matters charity initiative, and 25% of the sale of every Man on the Moon mug and Christmas card will be donated to Age UK. Esther Jackson, Marketing and Fundraising Director at Age UK said, ‘The Man on the Moon advert has really struck a chord with people, helping to raise awareness of loneliness amongst older people and we are thrilled to be able to announce this next exciting phase of our partnership with John Lewis.

‘Loneliness can be devastating and we hope this appeal will both cement this huge issue even further

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

S L E D D I N G I C

N N N B A T H E Y O

O C O L D A A N B A

W S C W I N T E R T

F E U T M O U R H Z

L R N D S E V O L G

A G O I T E N F D B

K U I S L E I G H Q

E L H R T H C A E B

S A M T S I R H C S

1, Yellow and Blue.

2, Pembrokeshire. 3, Vivien Leigh. 4, Coronation Street.

5, Leeds United. 6, Jenny Pitman. 7, Elizabeth I. 8, Crimean War. 9, Florence. 10, _Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha_.

11, Badgers. 12, Electrons.

John Lewis’ Man on the Moon advertising campaign which launched on Friday 6 November has raised awareness of the issue of loneliness and helped drive support to Age UK.

Christmas T-shirts!

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Only 43% of over 65s have basic digital skills

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o ON UK, the digital skills charity chaired

by Martha Lane Fox, has released a Basic Digital Skills report showing that 23% of people do not have a basic digital skills level.

The report, produced in association with Lloyds Banking Group, finds basic digital skills levels start to decline among people aged over 45, with those 65 years old and over having a basic digital skills level of just 43%.

UK’s first digital exclusion heat map Using data from the digital skills report, Go ON UK launched its digital exclusion heat map, which displays for the first time a measure of digital exclusion at a local level.

The digital exclusion heat map was developed in conjunction with the BBC, the Local Government Association and the London School of Economics and Political Science to ensure everyone in the UK has the basic digital skills they need.

Almost a quarter of people in the UK do not have the basic digital skills needed to succeed in our evolving digital age.

It gives policy makers and those working in the digital skills and inclusion section insight to help drive engagement, action and funding where it is most needed.

Areas with the highest levels of basic digital skills are found in Greater London (84%), Scotland and East Anglia (both 81%).

In Wales, where internet access is at its lowest, we find the lowest levels, with only 62% of adults having the basic skills they need.

Rachel Neaman, Go ON UK CEO, said: ‘The UK is experiencing a digital skills crisis. 12.6 million adults, 1.2 million small businesses, and over half of all charities lack the basic digital skills needed to succeed in today’s digital age.

‘Digital competency is an essential skill for everyone and we believe that – without urgent action – the nation’s lack of basic digital skills

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

will continue to hold back economic growth, productivity and social mobility.

‘This is the first time digital exclusion has been measured using the new definition of basic digital skills, introduced in early 2015.

‘Go ON UK has developed its new mapping tool, not only to support those working in the digital skills and inclusion sector, but to provide the data to highlight the scope and local variance of this issue, and make the case for the social and economic importance of universal basic digital skills’.

Go ON UK Local to support organisations Today, Go ON UK also launched Go ON Local – an online community toolkit and collaborative platform designed to offer organisations, local councils, housing associations and skills training providers online access to resources and to provide a platform for people to connect, share and promote best practice.

Rachel Neaman said: ‘Where the Go ON UK Digital Exclusion Heatmap helps us identify the issues we face at a local level, Go ON Local has been designed to support organisations that run digital skills activities for their communities to address those issues.

‘The new basic digital skills report clearly showcases a shift in digital skills adoption in the North East and North West; regions where Go ON UK has helped support local efforts. We have learnt from our sustained activity in the regions, and understand that working in partnership, whilst sharing knowledge and resources is key to helping us ensure everyone in the UK has the basic digital skills they need.’

Go ON Local will provide an online hub for those organisations to plan their programmes, promote and run initiatives, and evaluate and share their successes with the Go ON Local community and wider audiences.’

WINTER 2015 | 19

Image © Sam72/www.shutterstock.com

A

new analysis by Age UK reveals that an investment of an additional sum equivalent to less than 4% of the annual NHS budget of £112bn per annum would address the unmet care needs of the million-plus

2 0 | WINTER 2015

aged over 65 who are currently struggling to cope on their own – and help sustain the NHS at the same time. Age UK has calculated how much it would cost to help the 1,004,000 older people who are struggling with some level of unmet need for social care support.

According to Age UK analysis, the cost of meeting these needs for older people is £4.2 billion per annum.

By contrast, emergency admissions for those aged 60+ cost over £3.4bn a year – some of which could certainly be avoided by better and more timely support.

As part of the government’s forthcoming Spending Review, Age UK is calling for further funds to be invested in the care system in order to provide support to those older people who currently receive no help at all.

This latest analysis adds to the already strong economic

case for the better investment in social care, because of the disastrous impact social care’s decline has had on the NHS. Age UK recently found that 2.5 million NHS bed days were lost over five years as older people waited too long for essential social care, leaving them stuck in hospital as well as causing distress to those affected.

This alone wasted £669m of NHS funding over the period.

On top of this, the average unplanned admission to hospital costs the NHS £1,542 per admission.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: ‘The NHS is one of nation’s “crown jewels” and quite rightly is always a top priority for public funds. But it is struggling to cope at present and this is partly because in recent years social care has been allowed to wither away.’

In 2012/3 there were 2.2 million emergency admissions among the 60+ at a total cost of over £3.4 billion. Some of these admissions were undoubtedly avoidable – for some, a suitable and timely care package would have meant they could manage their health at home.

Image © STEVEN CHIANG/ www.shutterstock.com

Age UK has called on government to invest £1 in social care for every £27 it spends annually on the NHS

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

WINTER 2015 | 21

Think Print

Women twice as likely to have an empty pension pot

Image © Speedkingz/www.shutterstock.com

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A

third of women in work are not eligible for automatic enrolment into a workplace pension, leaving many at risk of not having a decent income in later life, according to new research. The startling figures are in contrast to 16% of male employees who are not eligible for automatic enrolment.

The research by the Pensions Policy Institute, sponsored by Age UK, is an evidence-based paper examining whether different demographic groups meet the criteria for auto-enrolment into workplace pensions.

Just under a quarter of all employees do not meet

2 2 | WINTER 2015

the qualifying criteria, and of these, 57% are ineligible because they earn less than £10,000 a year.

This illustrates not only the problems faced by many woman workers, but also disabled workers, ethnic minorities, recipients of Carer’s Allowance, those with more than one part time job and people who work in the service industry.

The research shows that 81% of workers receiving Carer’s Allowance do not qualify.

to 23% of white workers.

The research shows 30% of disabled workers (900,000 people) are also not eligible, and only 55% of people working in the service industries are eligible compared to 80% in most other sectors.

These figures, however, only include people who are employees, and there are many more who do not qualify because they are self-employed or not in work.

Of the total population aged 16-64, about half qualify for automatic enrolment.

Ethnic minority groups are Caroline Abrahams, Charity also less likely to meet the qualifying criteria. For example, Director at Age UK, said: about a third of Pakistani ‘While automatic and Bangladeshi workers enrolment has so far been are not eligible, compared

suppor ting older people for over 50 years

a resounding success at engaging more people in pension saving, these figures show that many lower earners are being excluded from workplace pensions.

‘We must make sure that more people benefit so they do not reach retirement with an empty pension pot.

‘We would like to see the auto-enrolment threshold lowered, so more people can enjoy a better-standard of living in retirement. With people living longer it is more important than ever that people get the chance of a private pension.’

www.ageuk.org.uk/medway

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WINTER 2015 | 23