SVP Older People’s Commission Research Launch Andy A d C Cullen ll (Ch (Chairperson), i ) Brian Harvey & Kathy Walsh (Researchers) 7th Sept 2011
Key Players ► Funded
by Atlantic Philanthropies ► Commission Members: Andy Cullen (chairperson) Sixteen Si older ld people, l mostly l SVP members, b some SVP staff. ► Consultants:
Brian Harvey & Kathy Walsh ► Evaluator: Niall Watters ► SVP Staff project leader: JohnJohn-Mark McCafferty
Aims: To offer SVP… SVP ► Insights I i ht
iinto t th the experiences i off older ld people l who h volunteer, work for and who are assisted by the SVP on the island of Ireland, ► Assistance in policy formulation in relation to the ageing process and older people, ► Guidance on issues affecting members who are older, ► Broad insights into how services and supports are provided by SVP for and with older people, ► New ideas and approaches
2009 EU Ageing Report: European Commission I 2008 11.Total Total Population 4.4 (millions) 2. Life Expectancy (a) Male 77.5 (b) 81.9 Female Â
2015
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
5.1
5.4
5.9
6.2
6.5
6.8
78.7 83.0
79.5 83.8
81.1 85.3
82.5 86.7
83.9 88.0
85.2 89.2
2009 EU Ageing Report: European Commission II 2008 3.Population (1) Age 65+ 11 2 11.2 as a % of total population (2)Age 80+ as a % of 2.8 total population (3) Age 0-14 years as a % 20.4 of total population Â
2015
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
12 2 12.2
13 3 13.3
16 01 16.01
19 4 19.4
23 7 23.7
25 2 25.2
2.9
3.1
4.3
5.7
7.3
9.6
21.1
21.1
18.9
17.4
17.5
17.0
2009 EU Ageing Report: European Commission III Population P l ti off older ld people l (i (i.e. th those agedd 65 years and over) projected to increase very significantly from 2006 level of 462,000, to around 560,000 by 2021 and to 1.4 million by 2041 2036 (projected): there will be more older persons than younger persons. Excess will widen further by 2041 - there will be almost twice as many old persons (1 313 300) as young (687,400) (1,313,300) (687 400) Life Expectancy at birth will rise from
►
►
►
76.7 76 7 years in 2005 to 86 86.55 years in 2041 for males 81.5 years in 2005 to 88.2 years in 2041 for females
Methodology ► Older
people defined as over 60 60, but also take account of over 50s and older elderly
► The
views of 567 older p people p in 43 locations
►Users
of services ►Managers, g , volunteers,, helpers p & staff
►Methodologies ►Formal
group discussions ►One to one interviews ►Informal group discussions
Location of Consultations ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
West (Galway, S’th Mayo): 4 Breffni (Sligo / Leitrim / North N th Mayo): M ) 2 Dublin: 8 N h East: North E 4 South Midlands: 3 S hE South East: 7 North Midlands: 1 Ormond (Kilkenny / South Tipperary): 1
► ► ► ► ► ►
Kerry: 4 Cork: 2 Mid West (Limerick and adjacent counties): 2 N h Northern Ireland: I l d 4 North West (Donegal): 1 V i Various telephone l h and d fface to face interviews
Expectations p of old age g ► Older people consider
themselves fortunate
compared to: ►Hardship of parents’ generation ►Apprehensions A h i as tto ffuture t off younger generation ti ► Mixed views on degree to which young people
respect, value l older ld people. l Notice i aggression. i ► Gave little/no consideration to ‘being older’ ► A more comfortable, competent older generation than ever before b
Transition to old age
► Physical changes
►Maintaining good health crucial ► Losing a
partner (more often the husband)
►Many M di died d iin early l 6 60s ► Retirement
►Involuntary retirement in 50s ► Becoming ga
g grandparent p ► Most regard old age positively, to be enjoyed ►Keeping a level of fitness ►Holidays ►Staying mentally active ►Living independently
Faith & Religion ► Faith had important
role to play in peoples lives, ► Shocked by recent revelations ► Many y regular g mass g goers,, ((for p prayer y & structure)) ► Gives ‘a real sense of community and belonging’ ► Many travelled to Marian shrines for holidays ► In rural areas they used the parish radio to tune in ► Members saw SVP work as faith in practice ► Disappointment pp in relation to not having g been able to pass faith onto children and grandchildren ► Need a Christian attitude to be SVP member
Loneliness, Loneliness isolation ► Contact with families varied
►Persistence of ‘family’ values strong as ever ► Economic changes had reduced levels of contact
►Changes in small towns: loss of small shops, post offices ►Robotic telephones ► Visiting, ringring-around
services of great value
► New technologies
►Majority had mobiles, for phoning/emergencies ►Few used computers, computers ee--mail rarer ►Monitored alarms were a great source of comfort/security , as were ‘friendly friendly call call’ services
Crime & safety ► A strong perception that it was safer in the past ► Many older
people live in fear ► Few F h had db been th the victim i ti off crime i ► Fears more for those living alone at night ► Monitored alarms great, installation means tested ► Absence of Garda presence in many local areas
Pensions and income support ► Is the p pension enough? g A simple p q question,, but
answers are complex
Some sayy yyes,, others struggling gg g Some say they can manage with less BUT Those under most pressure have only basic pension Some have private supplements A generation that learned to manage tight budgets, save Pension meets routine weekly needs Does not anticipate emergencies, emergencies breakdowns People under 66, self self--employed in difficulty If cut, cut people will reduce food (meat) (meat), fuel (and freeze)
Pensions (2) ► Christmas bonus filled some of these functions
►Removal is resented, esp. Against lifestyle of politicians ► Fuel the biggest single challenge to budget ► Growth of stealth charges
►Dental D t l charges h ►Eye tests €60 ►Blood Bl d tests, t t €10 ►Doctor’s letters for respite care, €10 ►Public P bli service i obligation, bli i €5 ►Charges for bin collections ►Prescription i i charges, h <€20 a month <€ h
Health services
►Treatment good, once you get it
►People spoke of pain pain--free lives after hip operations ►But a
huge problem area
►Long waiting times in A&E, A&E OPDs, OPDs 4 to 12hr ►2-3 days on trolleys reported on several occasions ►Long waits aits to see specialists specialists, <3 <3yrs rs ►Long waits for operations, <12 months ►Problems P bl iin h hospitals it l (E (English, li h signage, i staff, t ff no info, no complaints, highhigh-stress experience) ►Lack of GP services out of working hours ►Community nurses don’t visit any more ►Respite ever harder to get ►Transport to health services an issue for many
Housing / Accommodation ► ► ► ►
►
Most people keen to stay in their own home Standards of housing have improved Owning your own home as you got older could be a difficult in terms of repair and maintenance Persistence of homelessness ►People on housing list since 1996; TB patients discharged to night shelters Some older people mislead and exploited by some private sector t llandlord’s dl d’ where h th they Landlord’s refusing to replace household appliances, etc stating it is the tenant etc. tenant’ Some tenants do not have rent, sometimes conned out of additional rent money by unscrupulous landlords
Long--stay care Long ► Collapse of
nursing practice
Long waits to go to toilets, 30min No regular checking, checking even for water No time to talk to patients Two stories of unattended incidents
► Little stimulation for
long-stay patients long-
Abandoned Ab d d Feel insecure, intimidated ► Overall, O ll older ld
people l amazed d at h how b badly dl hospitals, health services are now run
Home help services ► Across
country, cut from 3 sessions weekly to 2 ► Sessions reduced to 1hr ► No longer available for people discharged ► Tasks undertaken reduced ► Some S paying i for f private i t h home h helps l ► Old people have an aversion to nursing homes (‘death sentence’). Examples of OP going there for lack of home help services ► A lowlow-tech, lowlow-cost, high value service, should be the last to go g
Transport ► Running ga
car is costlyy on a p pension ► Pass of great benefit to those on bus, rail routes ► Rural bus services where they exist exist, highly valued ►One HSE van service in Dublin ► Country C t towns t have h lost l t ttrains; i iinfrequent, f t b badly dl
scheduled, limited bus services ► Buses are a Dublin problem too
Long waits, 30min Lack of convenient bus stops Infrequent services, e.g. hourly Many pay for a taxi for shopping/GP visits once a week
Transport and health ► Transport p
to hospital p a distinct issue ► Few hospitals provide ambulance services E.g. E g Once a week eek or onl only for chemotherap chemotherapy ► Older people use complex combinations of relatives, l i public bli transport, taxis i to get to appointments, often very costly ► This issue not addressed when country medical facilities are closed No record of ambulance services provided No wonder there is resistance to closures
Employment / Unemployment ► Accessing work
a problem for people aged 50 to 66 ► Returned migrants g reported p levels of ageism g ► Particular issues for selfself-employed people whose business had closed with no welfare entitlements ► Early retirement on ground of ill health an issue. ► Some S older ld people l >65 continuing ti i tto work k ► Proposal to extend the mandatory retirement age a concern most would ld lik like iit to be b optional i l ► Need, especially for men, to prepare for retirement
SVP projects ► Day y
care/activity / y centres highly g y valued for
Companionship, camaraderie, friendship Food Services – recreational, paramedical ► Social housing
projects highly valued for
Rebuilding b d g lives after homelessness o (p (pets issue)) ► Visitor
services highly valued by
Long L Long-stay patients i with i h no visitors i i Undocumented foreigners (Poland, Lithuania) Comfort, practical help, depression after trauma
Older People as an Asset ► Positive P iti
economic i and d social i l contributions t ib ti ► Consumers of services and products and have considerable buying power –generous givers ► Family: meeting costs, caring, accommodation ► Caring, Caring looking out for frailer older neighbours/family ► Informal neighbourhood roles: house/baby sitting ► More likely to vote vote, well placed to lobby ► ‘Social Glue’: leadership roles, active membership ► Lifetime experience, experience technical & managerial: money management, relationship breakdown, crafts, negotiation, organisational
Older people and advocacy ► Not b brought g
up p to b be assertive
Previous generation fatalistic ► Belief B li f that th t older ld
people l lless assertive ti th than
other groups ► Public administration cannot cope with complaint Strategies of ignoring you, taking it personally, labelling you ou as ‘grump ‘grumpy, crank cranky’’ ► Hopefully
assertive
younger generation more
Emerging Challenges I ► SVP
dependent on older members ► Need to recruit new younger members ► Harder for people in rural areas to access supports from the society because of stigma ► Membership can be “hectic” & “demanding” ► Members can overwhelmed ► Spiritual aspect important for Members ► Need new members to do more visitation ► Danger SVP “seen seen as arm of State State.”
Emerging Challenges II ► Some
members have become disillusioned ► Visitation practices differ between conferences ► Meeting structure/atmosphere can cause tension ► A constant struggle to raise funds ► Scope for more contact between conferences ► Approach is reactive, need for more reflection ► Hard to make decisions on who to support and who to not support. support
Policy & Justice Issues ► Need
for systems for redress of grievances ► More effective pension system, especially those living g alone ((removal of Christmas Bonus)) ► Confronting persistence of fuel poverty ► Effective, Effective universal Health service and Fair Deal ► Investment in high value, low tech, low cost services i e.g. H Home h help, l h homecare ► Rectify Transport deficits Sub Sub--problem of transport to hospitals ► Homelessness and Habitual Residency ► Loneliness and Isolation