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Excluded
Older People: Social Exclusion Unit interim report
The
continued importance of addressing pensioner poverty is one of the
issues highlighted in this interim report
on social exclusion, which was produced after consultation with
older people, service providers, and academics by the Office of
the Deputy Prime Minister on 15 March. More than two million pensioners
are living on a low income and 60% of people aged 65 and over have
a longstanding illness. Many of these people are unable to access
the services and opportunities available to the rest of the population.
Lord Rooker comments in the report 'This is just as much about education,
employment, leisure and active social roles as it is about health,
housing and social care. We need to make these services work for
the most excluded older people, and end the situation where the
worst-off are often the worst-served.'
The
interim report notes:
- fear
of crime and experience of crime is a major issue impacting on
quality of life
- older
people should be included in decisions on regeneration programmes
for the local community
- access
and mobility are problems in rural areas and more flexible provision
of services is required
- many
older people live in poor housing but would not need to move into
care if they could get repairs and adaptation work to their homes
completed
- lack
of public transport prevents participation in social activities
leading to low morale, depression and loneliness
- participation
in learning has wide benefits contributing to individual's enjoyment
of life
- improved
access to health care is important; large numbers of older people
suffer from depression and mental health problems
- services
for older people are often still designed to suit the provider
and lack flexibility - they tend to focus on those in need of
crisis intervention and ignore the needs of those requiring more
low level help
- carers
could benefit from training and support which would help them
continue caring
- barriers
to accessing benefits include means testing; lack of access to
information and advice; and stigma
- discrimination
affects large numbers of older workers; people should be offered
more flexible retirement options and the traditional notion of
retirement gradually phased out
- some
minority groups face double discrimination and exclusion
- the
complexity of funding streams and targets can cause real problems
for innovative new services trying to meet the needs of excluded
older people
The
views expressed by respondents distil down to three key themes for
how services for excluded older people should be delivered in the
future:
- the
importance of early intervention and low level services
- the
need for joined up and coordinated services
- the
importance of promoting user involvement, choice and control
A research
report, Multiple Exclusion and Quality
of Life amongst Excluded Older People in Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods,
commissioned by SEU and prepared by a group at Keele University,
was published to coincide with the launch of the interim report.
This presents qualitative data exploring aspects of multiple disadvantage
experienced by an especially vulnerable group of older people. Read
the report here
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