The event guide and website (www.ageawarenessweek.com) details a week packed full of events including art exhibitions, films, discussions and conferences across Belfast; poetry and storytelling in Portadown; an intergenerational event in Strabane; information events in Ballymoney, Newry and Limavady; and dance and drama in Lisburn, Derry, Omagh, Armagh and Coleraine and much more.

 Anne O’Reilly, CAP Spokesperson said:

‘We all hope to grow older in a society where our opinion counts and our needs and concerns are taken into consideration when important decisions about things like health, transport, care and education are made. It is in society’s interest that everybody stands together to fight for the rights of older people to ensure a more equal, informed and richer society now and in the future. Age Awareness Week is the perfect opportunity for everybody in our society to get involved and become aware of age issues.’

This year the Changing Ageing Partnership has joined forces with Jameson Belfast Film Festival to organise a Drive in Movie at the Kings Hall Complex in Belfast which will launch Age Awareness Week. Just jump into your car, turn up the radio, sit back and enjoy the ultimate movie experience with the screening of ‘Harold and Maude’. This movie challenges the stereotypical ways in which older people are portrayed in cinema and defies everything you’ve ever seen or heard about screen lovers! To book tickets for this event visit https://kiosk.iristickets.co.uk/k?belfastfilm&haroldandmaude

There is something for everyone so visit www.ageawarenessweek.com to download the programme now and start planning your Age Awareness Week!

Diarmuid Moore (WEA), Julie Brown (Atlantic Philanthropies) and successful participants of CAP training

On Thursday 4 June older people from throughout Northern Ireland joined together at NICVA to celebrate the completion of training courses provided by the Changing Ageing Partnership.  The groups and individuals were presented with certificates in recognition of their successful completion of courses on Lobbying, IT for Advocacy, Digital Photography, Media Training and Principled Negotiation Skills. These older people will now use these skills to lobby decision makers to make changes in their local communities.

Sadie Hamill, from the PALS group in Craigavon, who took part in the CAP cross border lobbying programme said:

‘The cross border group was great as it brought together older people from both sides of the border and allowed us to compare notes on how seniors are treated in the north and south.  Together we learned lobbying skills and we particularly enjoyed the public speaking training.  Now having trained to improve our communication skills all we have to do is improve the listening skills of the decision makers’.

If you are interested in finding out more about the courses mentioned above or for further information about the presentation and successful groups, contact Attracta Cosgrove on 028 9032 9718 or email attracta.cosgrove@wea-ni.com

Research from the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) has found that older people in Northern Ireland have limited access to information about legal services. This is despite the fact that older people have a greater need for legal advice on issues such as substitute decisions, making wills, care agreements and matters relating to health.

The research is the first of its kind to explore the legal needs of older people. It was carried out for CAP by Dr Subhajit Basu from Queen’s School of Law, Mr Joe Duffy from the University’s School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work and Ms Helen Davey who was employed as research assistant for the study.

Joe Duffy said: ‘The legal system must accept that older people are often not getting the service they deserve, at a price that they can afford. This situation must change.

‘The research highlights the factors that prevent older people accessing legal information. They are generally reluctant to engage with the legal system and enforce their rights through the legal processes. They expressed distrust and scepticism towards lawyers and the legal system, particularly regarding the cost of legal services. Their reluctance to complain about the issues that affect them means older people often seek to manage problems on their own, rather than seeking expert guidance.’

The research makes a number of recommendations to help older people access important legal information. It recommends improved communication between health and social care professionals and the legal profession to raise awareness of older people’s legal needs, particularly during critical times in their lives, like following the diagnosis of an illness such as dementia.

Joe Duffy continued ‘It is also important that our future legal professionals are educated as to the needs of older people. Undergraduate legal education should therefore include a particular focus on the legal requirements of older members of our community, which should also see older people directly participating in the law curriculum.

‘We also recommend the development of an on-line service providing legal advice for older people, and the use of jargon-free language by the legal profession in all of its communication with older people.’

Dr Subhajit Basu said: ‘Not enough work is being done to increase older people’s awareness of the use of the internet as a legal tool. We need to therefore support older people by helping them develop the skills needed to access and use valuable online resources. However, social policy goals of empowering older people will be increasingly difficult to realise without the improvement in access to legal services more generally.’

On Wednesday 29th April 2009, Dr Katherine Appleton and Dr Jane Woodside will present the final report of their CAP funded research:

‘Fruit and Vegetable consumption in older people in Northern Ireland: Levels, patterns, barriers and solutions’

Guest Speakers: Siobhan Sweeney & Colette Brolly, Public health Agency, Western Health Action Zone.

Time: 1 – 2.30pm (Lunch from 12.15) 

Venue: Seminar Room 1 Institute of Governance, QUB 63 University Road.

To assist with catering RSVP to Deaglan Coyle at the School of Law d.p.coyle@qub.ac.uk or 028 90973472

The Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) will host a free workshop ‘Older People Campaigning for Change’ on Tuesday 31 March from 2 - 4 pm in Strabane Library, Railway Road, Strabane. All older peoples groups and individuals aged 50+ are invited to this event where they will learn how to become more active in making changes in their local community and more importantly how to get their voice heard.

This workshop will be an introduction to CAP and will showcase the free training that is available to support older people to campaign on local issues which are important to them.

Stephanie Campbell, Community Development Officer (CAP) said:

‘The workshop will allow you to voice your issues and will detail how you can go about making changes in your community. You will also hear about some of the successes that other individuals and groups have had because of their involvement in CAP.

‘Campaigns don’t have to be large scale, they can be the result of a group of individuals getting together to campaign for cleaner streets or against anti social behaviour.’

Attracta Cosgrove, Training Development Officer (CAP) said:

‘To help develop the skills and confidence to campaign, CAP offers free advocacy training in areas such as lobbying for change, negotiation skills, IT and more. Details of these courses and workshops will be given on the day.’

This free workshop is open to all older peoples groups and individuals aged 50+. Refreshments will be provided. If you would like to attend the workshop please contact Attracta Cosgrove, Training Development Officer (CAP), on 028 9032 9718 or email Attracta.Cosgrove@wea-ni.com.

A report from the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) reveals that Northern Ireland is out of line with most other common law countries in not having a law which protects older people against discrimination when they are accessing goods, facilities and services.

The research, by Ms Lisa Glennon and Professor Brice Dickson of the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast, recommends that the law should be amended to operate in a similar way to laws regarding discrimination on the basis of gender or race. As it stands, the absence of legal protection for older people who are discriminated against on the basis of their age means that they are not entitled to make a claim in a county court, access legal aid (if financially eligible), or demand compensation.

The report suggests that, in the field of health and social care, exceptions should be based only on clinical and welfare need, not age. For example, a decision on whether to provide a patient with medical treatment should not be based on the patient’s age, but on whether their health is good enough to withstand the treatment.

Similarly, with regard to insurance, exceptions should be based on facts or statistical evidence which is publicly available. For example, the cost of motor insurance should not go up just because the applicant is of a certain age. Rather, it should depend on whether there is hard evidence to show that people of that age are more accident prone.

Brice Dickson, Director of the Human Rights Centre at the School of Law at Queen’s, said:

‘We recommend that the law of Northern Ireland should be reformed in a way that makes it fairer and more respectful of older people’s right to be treated with dignity. Any exceptions allowing discrimination against older people will have to be very specifically worded and fully justified.’

Lisa Glennon of the School of Law added:

‘We also recommend that exceptions should be made to permit discrimination in favour of older people whenever these are based on clearly identified goals which will benefit society as a whole. We want to maintain the lawfulness of the preferential treatment which both younger and older people receive in certain areas, such as concessionary entrance rates and free bus passes.’

Bill Carson, Chair of Age Sector Platform, welcomed the launch of the research, commenting:

‘Our members have stated loud and clear that continuing age discrimination in 2009 is unacceptable.  They have outlined the barriers they face in trying to get affordable car or travel insurance or access to health and social care that meets their needs. 

‘We urge the Northern Ireland Assembly to consider these research findings and to establish equality legislation which features protection for older people in Northern Ireland as an immediate action. Older people can no longer be treated like second class citizens.’

The researchers, Ms Lisa Glennon and Professor Brice Dickson, will present further findings and recommendations of the research at a research launch at the Institute of Governance, Queen’s University on Thursday 12 March at 1.30pm.

A full version of the research is available here.

A report from the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) reveals a lack of support for older people who care for adult children with disabilities.

The research, by Dr Karola Dillenburger at Queen’s University Belfast, recommends that more should be done to enhance the development of life skills, such as personal care skills, domestic and social skills, or employability for disabled adults who are cared for by their parents. Early behavioural intervention that focuses on these kinds of skills is recommended to improve the choices available to adults with disabilities and their families.

The research suggests that the psychological health of older carers (average age approx 65 years) is at risk, with twice the level of stress than the general population. Despite their age, caring was a full-time job for 90 per cent of the older participants and physical care was required in 86 per cent of the cases.

Karola Dillenburger, Senior Lecturer in Inclusion and Special Educational Needs, Graduate School of Education at Queen’s said:

‘This research takes into account older carers experiences, whose greatest challenges (86 per cent) were lack of respite for sons or daughters with disabilities and dealing with their difficult behaviours.

‘79 per cent of the participants did not have a future care plan for their son or daughter. The report recommends that an advocate should be available from birth, to people with disabilities and their families, to help coordinate appropriate networks of support well in advance. I would urge policy makers to carefully consider this report and its recommendations.’

Caroline Kelly, a research participant who cares for her 31 year old son with a learning disability said:

‘This research records vividly all the despair and exhaustion we feel as older carers. It looks with heart breaking honesty through our eyes, reflects the love we have for our children, the sacrifices we make in our lives and relationships, the broken promises from those who are supposed to provide the services and our nightmares about the future for our children. We want the policy makers to read every word of this report, because this is our reality.’

Dr Una Lynch, CAP Research Manager said:

‘Dr Dillenburger’s study is a fine example of the CAP goal, to ensure that the voices of all older people, including the most isolated, are heard by policy makers and services providers. Research such as this provides a stark insight into the reality of older carer’s lives and a robust basis for future policy and service developments.’

The researcher, Karola Dillenburger and the research assistant, Lyn Mc Kerr, will present further findings and recommendations of the research at a research launch at the Institute of Governance at Queen’s University on Friday 27 February.

To download a full version of this report click here.

Age Concern NI and Help the Aged in Northern Ireland have taken the momentous decision to create a new charity which will bring the two organisations together.  The new charity will come into existence in Northern Ireland in April 2009 and by combining the skills of both organisations, it will have an even greater impact on the lives of older people.

A Consultative Forum will be established to encourage older people to contribute to the new charity and to ensure that their voice is at the heart of the organisation.

We are looking for older people to help facilitate a series of outreach sessions in April 2009.  The aim of these sessions is to reach older people who do not have access to established age sector groups, for example older people in residential homes, and to involve them in shaping the focus of the new charity. 

If you want to play a leading role in making the voice of other older people in your area not normally heard, stronger and louder, this is your chance to change that and make a difference.

Are you keen to reflect the views and realities of local older people back to the new charity?  Do you know someone else who is interested in using and developing their skills to make a difference? Get in touch today for more information.   You can do this by calling Úna Mulgrew on 028 9024 5729 or email UMulgrew@ageconcernni.org

We look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to find out more about the role and training provided.