Ready for Ageing Alliance - one year on.

The Centre for Policy on Ageing is a member of the Ready for Ageing Alliance and CPA's director, Gillian Crosby, was a signatory to the alliance's open letter, one year on from the original House of Lords 'Ready for Ageing' report.

Open letter from the Ready for Ageing Alliance

Exactly a year ago today the House of Lords Public Service and Demographic Change Committee's report Ready for Ageing concluded the UK was woefully unprepared for our ageing population. Government and our society must be bolder and braver in our response to demographic change. Failing to take this opportunity means that all our lives will be considerably poorer.

While policy progress has been made on pensions and social care we have mostly witnessed a year of 'business as usual', as politicians have collectively failed to respond to the call of the House of Lords to plan for the long term. It is tempting for policy-makers to postpone thinking about ageing in favour of more immediate crises, but in doing this they are overlooking a key challenge for current and future generations.

A failure to plan adequately could see a poorer older population living in increasingly inappropriate housing, lonely and in ill health. We also risk growing intergenerational tensions and the tragic consequences of health and care services failing to meet older people's needs.

On the other hand, our future economic growth is likely to depend on the extent to which we maximise the economic contribution of older people.

Ensuring the UK is Ready for Ageing is not a partisan issue, and in the run up to the 2015 general election all parties must do more to adequately address the challenge. The implications of an ageing society affect all of us and will touch every part of our lives - how we live together, work together and support each other - whatever our age.

Ready for Ageing Alliance Members:
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director, Age UK;
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society,
Jane Ashcroft, Chief Executive, Anchor,
Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive, Carers UK,
Gilly Crosby, Chief Executive, the Centre for Policy on Ageing,
Janet Morrison, Chief Executive, Independent Age,
Baroness Sally Greengross, Chief Executive, The International Longevity Centre - UK
Julia Unwin, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Date :14 March 2014

The ageing of the ethnic minority population of England and Wales

Using data from the 2011 Census, CPA has produced a briefing on the current ageing of the ethnic minority population of England and Wales. This supplements CPA's projections of the Future Ageing of the Ethnic Minority Population of England and Wales, derived from the 2001 census. Both reports can be found on the CPA Reports and Reviews web page.

CPA updates Bupa Census analysis

The Centre for Policy on Ageing has been commissioned by Bupa to use the data from its 2012 care home resident census to update CPA's analysis of the 2009 census. The 2009 analysis formed part of a wider report on the Changing Role of Care Homes. The updated analysis is available both on the Bupa website and in the Reports and Reviews section of the CPA website.

Medication safety in care homes

Following the Care Homes Use of Medicines (CHUMS) study, DH has commissioned follow up work to improve the safe administration of medication in care homes. This project, led by the National Care Forum, is being carried out jointly by The Royal College of General Practioners, The Royal College of Physicians, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, The Royal College of Nursing, The Health Foundation and Age UK. CPA has been commissioned to prepare, for the project, a research review and practice guide for care home managers.

CPA researches BUPA dance report

The Centre for Policy on Ageing was commissioned by Bupa to carry out the research for its "Keep Dancing" report, launched on 10th June 2011. The report, was part of Bupa's "Shall We Dance" global challenge, details of which were reported on the BBC "You and Yours" radio programme on 10th June.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation publish CPA report on better outcomes for older people

In January 2011, Joseph Rowntree Foundation published the CPA report "How can local authorities with less money support better outcomes for older people?", as part of its Solutions series.

Older people want and value low-level support - 'that bit of help' but the benefits of this type of investment are realised over many years, making it harder to prove impact and protect funding in the face of severe pressure on spending. The CPA review provides examples from across the UK of imaginative, affordable and effective ways of supporting older people's health, well-being, social engagement and independence.

Bupa commissions research and analysis from CPA

Care home care in the UK
Bupa has commissioned CPA to look at the future of care home care in the UK drawing lessons from an analysis of the third triennial census of Bupa care home residents carried out in 2009. The report is available in the Reports and Reviews area of this web site.

Prevention
As part of the Bupa sustainability agenda, focussing on keeping older people well for as long as possible and empowering them with respect to their own health, CPA has been asked to look at successful prevention strategies to maximise the period of healthy older age, improve individual wellbeing and thereby reduce the cost of long term health care.

The New Politics of Ageing seminar series co-hosted by CPA and SCWRU, King's College London

CPA and the Social Care Work Research Uniit (SCWRU) at King's College London are co-hosting a series of afternoon seminars on ‘The New Politics of Ageing’. The aim of the seminars is to bring together people from a range of disciplines and sectors to discuss research, policy and practice to empower and support an ageing population. Seminar 3, 'Money Management and Decision Making in Later Life', was held on 16 November 2010 (programme). The first two seminars discussed 'The Ageing of the Ethnic Minority Population: Issues for Service Providers and Planners' (programme) and ‘Age Equality in Health and Social Care: Age Discrimination and the Equality Act’ (programme). Access hand-outs from previous seminars via the SCWRU website, click here.

To reserve a place at future events email seminars@cpa.org.uk

The Ageing of the Ethnic Minority Population of England and Wales

CPA and the Runnymede Trust released on 20 July 2010 a new report estimating the ethnic make-up of the future population of older people in England and Wales. Strikingly, the report has found that by 2051 there will be 3.8 million BME people over 65, rising from 1.3 million in 2026, compared to only half a million in 2001. The implications are significant for public service planners at a local and national level looking ahead to the next 40 years. The report, The Future Ageing of the Ethnic Minority Population of England and Wales by CPA researcher, Nat Lievesley, was commissioned by the Runnymede Trust to contribute to their programme researching BME people and financial inclusion funded by the Nationwide Foundation. See Press Release.
The Centre has also been funded by the Nationwide Foundation, as part of its new Investor Programme, to develop a three-year project on daily money management for older people.

Care & Support Alliance Care Review 2010

The Care & Support Alliance is a group of 35 organisations who have come together to raise the profile of social care and help improve the care system. The Centre for Policy on Ageing is a member of the Alliance. Recently, the Alliance conducted a review of how social care services have changed in the last year and asked people using care and support services to complete a short survey on how services have changed and what impact, if any, this has had on them.

The care and support services under review include help and support for people to do day-to-day things, such as living in their own home, working, cooking, shopping and personal care. Services might also include independent living support like equipment to help with mobility, counselling and occupational therapy, home adaptions, day care services, breaks and other support for carers and telecare and telehealth services (technology like personal sensors and alarms in the home).

Findings from the survey will be used to help the Alliance make representations to government and public service planners on social care support.

Daily Money Management - Supporting older people to manage their financial affairs: a practical approach to protect older people from financial exploitation

The Centre for Policy on Ageing has been funded by the Nationwide Foundation Investor Programme to establish a small number of pilot 'Daily Money Management' programmes in the UK. The work is intended to raise awareness of financial abuse, encourage practitioners to share experiences and learning to promote and sustain good practice and develop a practical way of helping older people improve their financial capability and avoid financial abuse.

In view of the level of interest in financial and material abuse this innovative project offers a unique opportunity to influence policy makers in a way that will benefit older people, and their lives, and make a positive contribution to both local and national policy and service provision. For more information click here.

Reviews of ageism and age discrimination in secondary health care, primary and community health care, mental health care and social care in the UK are published by the Centre for Policy on Ageing

The Centre for Policy on Ageing published on 21 December 2009 four reviews from the literature to provide evidence of ageism and age discrimination in primary and community health care, secondary health care, mental health care and social care in the UK. Access the four reviews via the CPA website here.

The four reviews were commissioned by the Department of Health to support the national review of age discrimination and age equality in the health and social care sector and help health and social care organisations meet the new public sector equality duty in the Equality Bill.

This recent work complements earlier work consisting of two literature reviews and two research studies on the costs and benefits of eliminating age discrimination in the provision of health and social care commissioned by the Department of Health and released on 26 June 2008 to coincide with the launch of the first draft of the Equality Bill in the House of Commons.

The review of the likely costs and benefits of legislation to outlaw age discrimination in health and social care was carried out by the Centre for Policy on Ageing. View the CPA report | Link to all four reports on DH website

Independent Living and Older People: A Resource for Professionals

The Independent Living and Older People Resource is a new website, launched on Older People’s Day (1 October 2009), which explains the concept of independent living and includes practical tips on how to plan, commission and provide appropriate support for older people. Independent Living means older people having voice, choice and control over any support they need to go about their everyday lives.

The website is a one-stop information resource for commissioners, transformation programme leads and other professionals working to embed Independent Living at the strategic level.The new resource is part of the government’s Independent Living Strategy and it was developed by the Office for Disability Issues, working with the Centre for Policy on Ageing and the National Development Team for Inclusion.

Visit the website at www.independentlivingresource.org.uk or click here to access
Read Press Release - New website to improve services for older people

Using the Evidence to End Age Discrimination in Health and Social Care

The Centre for Policy on Ageing hosted a symposium on 2 October 2009 to discuss evidence of discrimination detailed in reviews of ageism and age discrimination in secondary health care, primary and community health care, mental health services and social care carried out by CPA on behalf of the Department of Health to support the Equality Bill introduced in the UK Parliament (April 2009) and related secondary legislation that will set out details of the new age discrimination ban in the provision of goods and services.

Read Press Release - Using the evidence to end age discrimination in health and social care

National Database of Ageing Research (NDAR)

Researchers are invited to add details of current research projects to the National Database of Ageing Research (NDAR) - a freely available online resource established by the Centre for Policy on Ageing. Originally published by CPA in directory format (from 1955 onwards), NDAR aims to be a fully comprehensive resource of recent and ongoing research within the UK on all non-medical aspects of ageing and older age. The intention is to make research activities easily accessible to researchers and users of research, and to develop a network of shared learning. It is hoped that full details of research projects within the New Dynamics of Ageing and other research programmes will be tracked via NDAR. More

National Single Assessment Process resource - including an interactive glossary and discussion forum

The Centre for Policy on Ageing was commissioned by the Department of Health to create and host an on-line resource for practitioners implementing the Single Assessment Process. The resource, which is freely accessible, holds a wealth of material to assist multi agency working. The aim is to provide access to information, in all its various forms, that can be shared nationally to support work around SAP, share good practice and reduce duplication of effort. The resource is continually updated to reflect new issues and practice, including eSAP, the Common Assessment Framework and self assessment. More...

The Forum for Older People in Prison - and SAP

The Forum for Older People in Prison was convened to address the needs of older people in prison. It regards current policy to transfer healthcare responsibilities to PCTs, and implementation of SAP in the prison environment, as a potential avenue to improve the situation regarding the health and social care of older prisoners. It has resolved to support the successful implementation of this process. The Forum is facilitated by Age Concern England and includes the Prison Reform Trust, the Inspectorate, Restore50Plus, the Centre for Policy on Ageing, Women in Prison, Nacro, the Howard League and several others. For more information on the Forum's work click here.

The Representation of Older People in Ageing Research series of seminars and publications

CPA with the Centre for Ageing and Biographical Studies at the Open University hosts seminars to discuss methods of research on ageing and the edited papers are published for wider distribution. The next seminar will be on researching older people and technology.

Please email Angela Clark aclark@cpa.org.uk to book a place at the seminar and for information on reports of previous seminars. Click here to download a flyer of reports published in the series.

Order published reports direct from Central Books

To be included on the seminar mailing list email aclark@cpa.org.uk