Older People's Commission Launch Presentation

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