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| How can we build a better society for older people? Live discussion | How can we build a better society for older people? Live discussion |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| Society is failing to value and harness older people’s skills, knowledge and experience, a Guardian survey has revealed. Some 92% of the 1,250 respondents to the ageing population research believe that older adults’ contribution to society is not recognised. | Society is failing to value and harness older people’s skills, knowledge and experience, a Guardian survey has revealed. Some 92% of the 1,250 respondents to the ageing population research believe that older adults’ contribution to society is not recognised. |
| One said: “On the whole the public view older people as a drain on society instead of an asset.” Another added: “Older people are mostly seen as a bundle of problems and service-needs. Their strengths, skills and knowledge are not harnessed or appreciated in a society infatuated by the cult of youth.” | One said: “On the whole the public view older people as a drain on society instead of an asset.” Another added: “Older people are mostly seen as a bundle of problems and service-needs. Their strengths, skills and knowledge are not harnessed or appreciated in a society infatuated by the cult of youth.” |
| In fact, older people in the UK contribute an estimated £61bn to the economy through employment, volunteering and caring. And, according to Ros Altmann, the UK government’s champion for older workers, being 50, 60 or 70 in the 21st century is no longer a predictor of physical or mental abilities. It certainly does not signify that someone has failing health and will soon be unfit to work, or no longer able to learn new skills. | In fact, older people in the UK contribute an estimated £61bn to the economy through employment, volunteering and caring. And, according to Ros Altmann, the UK government’s champion for older workers, being 50, 60 or 70 in the 21st century is no longer a predictor of physical or mental abilities. It certainly does not signify that someone has failing health and will soon be unfit to work, or no longer able to learn new skills. |
| Meanwhile, with numbers of people aged 75 and over expected to double by 2040 and the proportion of older people in the UK due to rise from 23% to 28% of the population by 2030, it is vital to plan for the necessary services to support our ageing society. | Meanwhile, with numbers of people aged 75 and over expected to double by 2040 and the proportion of older people in the UK due to rise from 23% to 28% of the population by 2030, it is vital to plan for the necessary services to support our ageing society. |
| How can we create a society where people aren’t so worried about getting old, where there’s less stereotyping of older people, more inter-generational contact, and more opportunities to see older people as assets? What are the issues around financing retirement and how do we make sure older adults are not excluded because they don’t have enough money? | How can we create a society where people aren’t so worried about getting old, where there’s less stereotyping of older people, more inter-generational contact, and more opportunities to see older people as assets? What are the issues around financing retirement and how do we make sure older adults are not excluded because they don’t have enough money? |
| We will be discussing these questions and more on Wednesday 25 March from noon till 2pm. | We will be discussing these questions and more on Wednesday 25 March from noon till 2pm. |
| The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via sarah.johnson@theguardian.com or @GdnHealthcare on Twitter. | The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via sarah.johnson@theguardian.com or @GdnHealthcare on Twitter. |
| The panel so far ... | The panel so far ... |
| Simon Bottery, director of policy and external relations, Independent AgeJonathan Morgan, senior service manager, Red Cross Independent living services in LondonHelen Creighton and George Holley-Moore, International Longevity CentreRoger Newman, older person, LGBT activist and writer on ageingAnna McEwen, director of support and development, Shared Lives PlusAndrew Williams, deputy honorary secretary, British Geriatrics SocietyAnthea Tinker, professor of social gerontology, King’s College LondonGillian Connor, head of external affairs, HanoverGemma Heath, PA Consulting Group | |
| The panellists started off discussing the main worries of people as they grow older: | |
| Older people have different expectations these days, and that will continue to change. What might have been good enough for previous generations will not cut it in the future, and what we have is not sustainable anyway. I certainly don’t want to end up in a care home, nor do I want to have to make the decision for my parents to go into one. My fiercely independent grandmother who died aged 94 lived at home until the last few weeks of her life when she became too unwell, she is not a rare breed, I’ve worked with many many older people over the years who have just wanted to stay in their own homes. It’s about choice, having the services in place to support people to make choices about how they want to live, and be supported when necessary in later life. | |
| My concerns are the usual things like, health, mortality, money etc, but having a feeling of significance is also important. | |
| From my experience of working with a number of older people, some of the main worries include stigmatisation and discrimination from the workplace. Some of the earlier comments I have read suggested that we need to better understand how we can ensure we value the skills and experience of older people in the UK which I absolutely agree with. Other major worries include social isolation and the inability to live independently within their own homes - something which we feel at the British Red Cross is a basic right and something we work tirelessly to advocate for. | |
| They talked about the stereotypes around older people: | |
| There are certainly stereotypes surrounding the 'baby boomers' - well off retirees who maybe took early retirement, own a couple of properties, takes frequent holidays. Whilst we have made significant strides in reducing pensioner poverty in the last 20 years (previously to be old meant most likely you would be poor), there is still a significant number of older people living in poverty today. And with wealth inequality comes health inequality, as the Marmot report of 2010 pointed out. | |
| One of the common stereotypes of growing old is that older people don't contribute to society.We need to give more recognition and pride to the contributions that older generations have already made and highlight the achievements that people are making now. |