Centre for Policy on Ageing



Services for the 21st century — meeting the needs of older people
Author(s)	Tessa Harding
Journal title	Research, Policy and Planning, vol 18, no 2, 2000
Pages	pp 2-6
Keywords	Services ; Needs [elderly] ; Rights [elderly].
Annotation	Services in the 21st century - or at least at the beginning of it - are likely to be shaped by current trends, most significant being demographic change and the ageing of the population. Being older will be "normal" and services will be increasingly shaped by the voices of older people themselves. The Human Rights Act and government emphasis on the "civil society" will, over time, change the balance of power between the individual and the state. However, it seems likely that there will be enduring problems - notably persistent poverty in old age, endemic ageism, and a legacy of paternalism in our services. If services are to meet older people's needs in the 21st century, they are going to have to change radically. What older people want is "life, not a care plan". The first priority will be to ensure that older people are able and encouraged to play a full part in society and in their own communities. The second is to have in place the right kind of help to ensure that people stay healthy and retain their independence, as they will form a significant proportion of the population. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-010208202 A
Classmark	I: IK: IKR
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.