Active Ageing Strategy
Kingston’s Active ageing strategy – An executive summary
For more information contact: Liz Trayhorn, Healthy Kingston Co-ordinator, Public Health, Kingston PCT, 22 Hollyfield Road, Surbiton, KT5 9AL, Tel 8339 8130, fax 8339 8100. liz.trayhorn@kpct.nhs.uk
If ageing is to be a positive experience, longer life must be accompanied by continuing opportunities for health, participation and security. The World Health Organization has adopted the term “active ageing” to express the process for achieving this vision.
The word “active” refers to continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labour force. Active ageing aims to extend healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age. The strategy covers:
Material wellbeing including benefits advice and financial planning for people approaching retirement. Recommendations are:
- Ensure services to help older people access the benefits they are entitled to and understand their financial situation are more accessible and better publicised.
- Encourage initiatives to promote financial planning for older people approaching retirement
Quality of homes, fuel poverty, prevention of falls and supported housing. Recommendations are:
- Further develop schemes which aim to improve insulation and heating efficiency
- Promote and develop the prevention of falls strategy and associated services
- Further develop initiatives to enable older people to live at home including:
- Improved access to occupational therapy services
- Further develop strategies to provide a variety of supported housing for older people
Mobility covering promoting walking and chiropody services. Recommendations are:
- Further develop initiatives to make walking safer and more attractive
- Expand podiatry and chiropody services
Independence in particular public transport. Recommendations are:
- A greater consideration of the needs of older people and improved provision of public transport to services used by older people
- Increase the flexibility and availability of community transport including transport to NHS appointments
Fear of Crime. Recommendations are:
- Greater involvement of older people in the crime and disorder partnership and further initiatives to address crime and fear of crime amongst older people as part of Kingston’s crime and disorder strategy.
Social interaction including day centres, adult education, leisure facilities and intergenerational activities. Recommendations are:
- Provision of affordable and accessible leisure services and adult education that meet the needs of all older people
- Initiatives to increase neighbour contact/ support
- Further development of initiatives to improve relationships between generations through schools, universities, colleges and youth groups
Mental health including preventing and identifying depression among older people and coping with dementia. Recommendations are:
- Increase awareness of mental health problems amongst the general public and professional to ensure early identification of depression and dementia
- Improve awareness of bereavement services
- For the standard 7 group to consider developing a memory clinic
Nutrition. Recommendations are:
- Better provision of services for people who need assistance getting to the Shops
- Further development of opportunities for people to eat in company.
- Better provision of food for all communities both by services and local shops
- Better consideration of the needs of older people by local retailers
Health and social care services. Recommendations are:
- Better integrated services and multi disciplinary working between health, social care, housing and the voluntary sector to ensure joined up working including joint work to capture those not known to services, especially isolated older people by, for example, A&E & local pharmacists
- Joint work within housing, residential homes, health, social services and the voluntary sector to:
- Increase Flu immunisation (especially in deprived areas),
- Improve access to smoking cessation services
- Improve Blood pressure management for older people
- Improved support for deaf people by all professionals who work with older people
- Further development of services that recognise the diversity of the local community
- Particular attention to the needs of Black and minority ethnic groups & Gay and lesbian users
The involvement of older people in developing services and health promoting initiatives. Recommendations are:
- Initiatives to encourage volunteering
- Initiatives to encourage the involvement of older people in both planning and providing services
Information and consultation with older people about services as well as ensuring older people are aware of all the services that are available. Recommendations are:
- A co-ordinated strategy to increase awareness of services available for older people