Independent Age Blog

Have this week's events brought good news or bad for older people?

By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer

This was a bad week for weather as the "Beast from the East" descended upon us from Siberia, bringing with it a swathe of freezing temperatures. We've been poised for a double-dip recession for some time, but this week, temperatures looked to be on course with the economy and were headed in one direction: down (again).

UK residents (and our European neighbours) were subjected to biting temperatures, which plummeted well below zero, even during the day. The Department of Health took the step of issuing a cold weather warning across the country.

Older people are particularly vulnerable in the cold weather - they need to keep their room temperatures higher than younger people just to stay healthy (an issue for many older people given prohibitive fuel prices). Excess winter death statistics are shocking (22,000 for the winter of 2010/11) and the risk of widespread ice and snow puts older people in danger of falls, or isolating themselves in their own homes through fear of going out.

For some suggestions to help with the cold snap, don't forget about our Winter Wise Guide; a pack full of hints tips and advice to help people through the winter months. You can download a copy here: /news/cold-weather-call.aspx 

This was a good week however for elder insight. The week seemed to be awash with centenarians who were not backward at coming forward with their pearls of wisdom. 100-year-old Wilbur Faiss and his wife, Theresa, were awarded this year's Worldwide Marriage Encounter for the longest married couple. Espoused for 78 years, Wilbur imparted the secret of the couple's marital success: love.

The couple met, according to the Daily Mail, at a roller rink outside St Louis."I was a hot shot on skates," says Wilbur, "and she was by far the most beautiful girl in the audience."

Another centenarian, Kathleen Connell from East Renfrewshire, who celebrated her 100^th birthday this week, shared her secret for a long life: spending two hours a day playing on her Nintendo DS Lite. Kathleen, who has had both legs amputated and lives alone, said in feature in the Daily Mail that she is so addicted to the device that she wore out her first console (a 96^th birthday present from her daughter) and had to replace it. According to the popular Brain Trainer game, Kathleen is clocking up the mental age of a mere 64-year old.   

Here we are at the end of January; we've brushed off the cobwebs and are back in full swing with our routines. If you are already starting to plan your trips and breaks for the year, why not think about joining us for the Independent Age Coastal Path Challenge in June?

This four-day sponsored walk covers 50 miles along the beautiful Ceredigion Path. The scenery in this part of Wales is spectacular - Cardigan Bay is renowned for its marine life and walkers can expect to see dolphins, porpoise and grey seals from commanding views along the cliff tops as the route follows the coast most of the way.

Wildflowers are in abundance along the edges of the path and red kites and rare species of marine birds make their home in the area which is one of the many reasons Cardigan Bay is a Special Area of Conservation.

This is a wonderful opportunity to soak up some stunning scenery while also raising vital funds for Independent Age. All funds raised will support our work of providing information, advice and support for thousands for older people across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Four days too long? You can always join us for a shorter period. For full details on the route, including information on how to sign up, click here.

Have this week's events brought good news or bad for older people?

By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer

This was another bad week for pensioners' finances as a study from Age UK published on Tuesday revealed that 4.5 million people over 60 can only just afford the basics.

The study, which was based on a survey of 1,000 over 60's, painted a bleak picture of what life is like for older people today, in an environment of steeply rising prices.

Over half of people questioned (55%) say they are finding it harder to manage their regular outgoings compared to this time last year. It's little wonder given that energy prices rocketed by 18% last year, while any potential income from savings was obliterated by low interest rates. What's really worrying is that all the people interviewed spoke about cutting back and making do. Nearly half said they had turned down the heating when they were still feeling the cold, to save money, and one in seven admitted to going to bed when they weren't tired, just to keep warm.

As well as the obvious financial issues, the cost cutting moves described are potentially putting pensioners' health at risk, as well as causing them to risk isolating themselves in their own homes. It also suggests that the government's obligation to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016 is currently looking as likely as a week of Thursdays.

And the future doesn't look much brighter either after another report out this week, this time from pension experts, Barnett Waddingham, showed that younger generations will be far worse off than their parents in retirement because of the collapse of private pension schemes.

It is predicted that a pensioner's income could fall from £21,000 a year today, to only £6,440 in 40 years' time. This is based on earning the same salary and paying into a pension for 40 years.

Given all the grim news cascading around us this week, we're pleased to say there was one story that had a happy ending. This was a good week (or at least a far better week than it could have been) for 73-year-old Maurice Holder who was rescued by his 11-year-old Labradoodle, Monty, after dropping 40ft down a ravine.

The pensioner described in the Daily Mail how the ground gave way beneath him as he was walking along a river bank. After losing consciousness, he awoke to find Monty by his side watching over him, who then led him back to safety. "It was very steep," says Maurice. "Because all the ground had fallen, it was loose, but Monty found a way back up on to firm ground... Monty got me to level ground and then I just lay down to get my breath back and as I did, Monty ran away."

Monty however had not deserted his owner but had run to the local pub to summon help. "He came back around 15 minutes later with a nice gentleman who helped me back to the car," explains Maurice.

Maurice was taken to hospital, where he was treated for head injuries, broken ribs, cuts and bruises.

Our conclusions on today's Health Select Committee Report on public expenditure:

Time to acknowledge the elephant in the room (he's been here a while).

By Anna Passingham, Policy and Research Manager

Lansley and Burstow's current stance of sticking their heads in the sand when faced with the reality of the social care crisis just won't wash any more.

Despite the Health Secretary dismissing the report as 'Westminster nonsense', the Health Select Committee's findings are backed up by robust evidence from the National Audit Office, ADASS and the Care Quality Commission. Stephen Dorrell MP, as chair of the Select Committee, and one of Lansley's predecessors, poses the challenge for local authorities and the Government: what can be done to provide a meaningful service until the new system can be put in place?

Good practice shows that where more integration between councils and NHS is already happening, such as reablement services, with more pooled resources and aligned budgets across housing, health and care, it can encourage better quality of care and experience for people using services, while also making savings. However, it is often patchy and not joined up with wider service provision. Where it does work, such best practice must be highlighted for swift implementation by other local commissioners.

The situation is urgent, however little this is recognised at the top level. What we need is firm leadership to provide clear direction on what works and what could generate savings for local authorities while also improving the situation for older people and their carers on the ground.

Doing nothing is not an option. The alternative - even more cuts in services, further tightening of eligibility criteria and hikes in care charges - must not be allowed to happen. But without the men at the top - not currently even acknowledging we have a problem - it is clear that we have some way to go.

Have this week's events brought good news or bad for older people?

By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer

This was a good week for social care as cross-party talks began, with the aim of reaching a consensus on care funding. The talks have been a long time a-coming and there is no guarantee they will lead anywhere. But the fact that they are taking place at all represents a major breakthrough and must increase the likelihood of genuine reform of our social care funding system. We have uprated our Dilnot-o-meter to reflect this.

The talks were preceded by reports in the Daily Telegraph earlier in the week that older people could be made to pay up to £60,000 for their care in old age. Interestingly, online forums were alive with anger at the news. But while the figure may, seen starkly, seem shocking, what readers perhaps failed to realise is that there is currently no limit on the costs that individuals can incur paying for care in later life. And around 20,000 people are forced each year to sell their homes in order to cover the costs.

However, the £60,000 figure is close to double the £35,000 cap proposed by Andrew Dilnot last year and well outside the range (extending to £50,000) that Dilnot said would be reasonable. While it would still help remove the fear people currently feel about meeting care costs as well as enabling insurance firms and pension providers to develop financial products to help people protect themselves against care costs, it may be a step too far away from acceptability. It was swiftly refuted by Paul Burstow who said the matter was still under consideration before the government's white paper in April.

Bizarrely, Burstow did then go on (cue horrified, sharp, intake of breath) to deny any funding gap in the social care system. The money the government was putting in, combined with local authority efficiency gains meant the funding gap had been closed, he said. If councils failed to pass the money on, that was their choice. We don't think this argument holds water from a minister responsible for social care. So a bad week for Burstow.

It may turn out to be not such a good week either for lone older homeowners, as housing minister, Grant Schapps, announced plans for the state to help older people downsize, to allow councils to rent their homes to local families and help ease the nation's housing crisis.

Local authorities would, under the plans, cover the costs for moving, renovation and financial advice. They would also take over the responsibility for maintaining and renting the vacated properties, passing back any profit to the homeowner to use to pay for their new accommodation.

The concept is a good one as long as it's about helping an older person to make the best decision about their housing options and retain their independence. But starting the project with the primary aim of freeing up housing is wrong. It runs a serious risk of coercing older people into house moves they do not want, with all the consequences that involves, such as the physical upheaval and stress of moving, not to mention moving people away from their social networks. Older people get a raw enough deal in society without being made to feel they no longer deserve to live in the home they have worked hard to pay for.