Older People Strategy
OLDER PEOPLE STRATEGY
If you want to build a house to live in do you trust the builder to design and build one without asking you what kind of house would suit you and what layout would be best for you. I wonder how close that house would be to your liking and to your needs.
Chances are that you would get some things that you agree with and many that you would not.
I remember working in a Chemical factory and seeing all the alterations that were being planned by the team of experts. I am not decrying the expertise of the team nor the dedication to make improvements.
A lot of time and discussion went into the planning and a lot of input from a wide range of trades and specialists helped to cover all the aspects such as building and safety. Production was the prime criteria because this was the part that made profits.
From the planning, to the project commissioning, everything was mostly spot on and the production line had little downtime. Handshakes all round? Well, nearly all round because the teams that had been responsible for the success of the project had neglected to get the input of the people that worked the plant, the operators,
The alterations may be spot on from the design side but to operate it could be a different story. Valves were often placed in such a way that you had to be a contortionist to operate them. Pumps placed so that every time you primed them, you pole axed yourself on protruding pipe work This type of situation occurs time and time again throughout the whole of life and is becoming more apparent for the elderly. Who knows what is best for those that are infirm than those that are infirm. Who knows best what is needed for the blind than a blind person etc, etc.
As we are getting older we can only know what would benefit us at that particular stage of our life, we cannot guess what we may need further down the line but there are people who are further down the line that know. Their opinions would count, there are an awful lot of different situations and needs to be taken into consideration when looking at the whole plan.
Up to now authorities have been the decision makers and they have done what they think is best for the elderly. OK, there are probably one or two on the committees that are clocking on a bit but they wouldn’t be on these committees if they were at the age where these decisions would affect them. The Government make a lot of decisions which effect the elderly but what do they know about the nitty gritty of normal life at whatever age?
Well at last there is a council that have woken up and smelt the coffee and whats more they are drinking it. North East Lincolnshire Council have bothered to go out and meet the people who are effected by the ageing process and ask them where they think help could be given and in what form. A councillor to champion their cause was available for consultation or even just a chat.
The older people’s strategy will examine many aspects that effect older residents such as Health Care and Provisions, meals on wheels, Transport, Street Lighting and Pavements. As many people as possible will be welcomed to put their points of view forward. Julie Ogley the Executive Director of Community care for that area was quoted as saying that the new strategy would touch on almost every service connected with older members of the community and would play an important part in shaping the future of these and many other services.
As far as I am aware there are not too many other councils prepared to put themselves out in this way. In the past, older age was beginning to look grim with stories of peoples homes being sold to pay for their keep in residential homes. Stories were being circulated that if you were old, medical help would be minimal in order to give maximum benefit to younger people. Many things that older people had to put up with were making older age seem a badge of unworthiness.
Now this strategy would make it possible for the elderly to receive support to allow them to stay in their homes and retain their independence. More than £900,000 has been provided by this council to support the scheme.
Well if one council can do it why can’t every council do it? It affects a large number of their electorate and all in all, a large proportion of the countries population.
We hear a lot of lip service from authorities about dignity in later life so unless they have some anti ageing formula, let them build a better future for us, and in time, for themselves.