Media centre

Older people are the main users of many community health and social care services.  The Government’s programme of reform of public services will therefore have greater impact on the lives of older people than any other group in society.  Yet few attempts have been made to identify what older people want from health and social care services.
 
The Government’s Strategy for the UK’s ageing population (Opportunity Age‚ Department of Work and Pensions‚ 2005) includes a vision of services which promote independence and well-being and sets out the following principles for services:

• Older people should be able to retain independence and control over their lives‚ even when they come to need support or healthcare.  Services for older people should be accessible and put the needs and wants of the individual at the centre.
• Older people are entitled to dignity and respect at all stages of their lives.  That means protecting the vulnerable from abuse and setting high standards for services.
• Older people‚ like any other group in society‚ have complex lives; this should be reflected in public services for them.  An individual older person might need financial support‚ care or NHS services‚ but equally‚ and probably at the same time‚ he or she might want access to life-enhancing activities such as sport or volunteering.  Services should support independence‚ not foster dependency.

To test out the views of older people‚ in the context of an impending White Paper on community health and social care‚ Age Concern commissioned Age Concern Research Services to undertake nine focus groups with older people‚ including older carers‚ whose voices are less likely to be heard through formal consultation processes.  The research was part funded by the Department of Health.  The focus groups were conducted in five locations across England and covered the north‚ south and midlands and both rural and urban areas.  The groups included people with mobility problems and a combination of those with long term health problems and those who use services only occasionally.

Despite regional and demographic differences‚ many of the issues covered in these discussions generated very similar views and opinions.

Read this report

Download the full report below.

Hard copies may be ordered from our policy team.

Contact us

Email: Policy team