Helping the Elderly in the Community

The elderly are among the most vulnerable in any community and as the average age of the population
increases, there are more of them, a figure that’s only going to grow over the next few decades. Many are
active and fiercely independent, but inevitably there will be a percentage, and a growing percentage at
that, that will have mobility problems. How can a community help its elderly?

Practical Measures.

Community organizations work best when interfacing with official bodies – arranging transport to
community centres, or, if necessary, transport to doctor’s appointments or to the hospital. With a pool of
volunteers to draw on, they can also arrange drivers on short notice if there’s no free transport in your
area. They can also contact social services if necessary, and help the elderly with various forms, or
obtaining pensions and so on.

But perhaps the greatest thing you can do for your older neighbours is simply to befriend them. Pop in for
a cup of tea and a gossip when you have the time. Many older people live alone, or some care for a
husband or wife, but all too often they have little outside company. For an hour a week you can be a
breath of fresh air to them and enliven their day. It seems like a small thing, but it can make a big
difference.

All these are short-term solutions, part of the everyday fabric of life. But they’re just some of the things a
community can do.

Other Solutions
If there’s not already one in your area, starting a Seniors Group at the community centre is an excellent.
Not only does it get the elderly out of their four walls, it brings them together with others their own age for
a little while each week.

For those who can get out but perhaps have difficulty walking, raising funds for a mobility scooter can give
them a huge amount of freedom. If you look in the right places, you can pick up scooters quite cheaply
these days, and maybe arrange with a local tradesman to service them free of charge, which is another
help to the elderly.

Your organisation can also talk to local restaurants and see if they might be willing to offer reduced price
meals to people over 65. It can be an incentive for them, since they’ll end up with more customers – even
if they just do it on nights during the week that are slow. It makes the elderly feel worthwhile and
respected, that their custom is valued.

Put together, all of these things, and other initiatives you come up with, can make the lives of the elderly
in your community much more pleasant.

Thousands of elderly people are being targeted with support to keep them out of
hospital as part of a drive to improve care in the community.
Ministers have allocated £60m to 19 projects across England in a bid to help 150,000 older
people at risk.

Many elderly people end up in hospital through falls and because their chronic illnesses such
as diabetes and heart disease get out of hand.

The schemes aim to offer people help at home and better access to services.

The projects are being run by local authorities in tandem with NHS agencies and voluntary
groups.

They include dementia cafes where patients and their carers can discuss their needs with
officials from social services and the NHS.

Other pilots involve home visits to people deemed at risk of illness to arrange early home
and transport support and special help for people who have suffered falls to adapt their
homes.

People with long-term conditions will also be offered specialist services within the
community in libraries, village halls and post offices.

The Partnership for Older People pilots, which will start in May next year followed by a
second wave 12 months later, are part of a drive to improve community services to be
unveiled in a white paper at the turn of the year.

Hospital

Experts estimate that by reducing falls by just a third could save the public sector £175m.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "We know, because older people tell us, that they
want to live independently for as long as possible.

"Too many older people are being admitted to hospital, often as an emergency, when this
could be avoided if the right community services were in place at the right time."

Jonathan Ellis, policy manager at Help the Aged, added: "The shift to place greater
emphasis on promoting good health and well being for older people is a welcome step
forward.

"A preventative approach to older people's health is vital to ensure not only the well being
and quality of life of all people as they grow older but to alleviate some of the pressures on
resources as our ageing population increases."

Shadow Health Minister Simon Burns said the plans had to be matched by "considerable
improvements on the ground".

"I am concerned that the new partnership will simply be yet another government initiative
where action on the ground does not match initial rhetoric."
Alzheimer's Society chief executive Neil Hunt said: "Preventative services that support
people to stay in their own homes are particularly important.

"However, we believe that these kinds of services should be part of the main stream."

Tuesday, 8 November 2005