CAP News Issue 5 January 2008
October, November and December witnessed three major achievements for older people in
Free transport for people aged 60 or over
On 25 October the First Minister, Rt Hon Dr Ian Paisley announced that the free public transport was to be extended to those aged 60 or over in 2008.
Proposed rates discount for single pensioner households
On Tuesday 27 November the Finance Minister, Rt Hon Peter Robinson announced a proposed 20 per cent rates discount for single pensioner households. This discount will apply to people aged 70 or over who live alone.
On Tuesday 18 December the First Minister, Rt Hon Dr Ian Paisley and deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness announced their intention to create a Northern Ireland Commissioner for Older People. The announcement follows several years of campaigning by Help the Aged and Age Concern alongside older people. Anne Gamble, member of Heyday and the Age Sector Reference Group said
"I am very excited about this new post. The potential of having someone who is dedicated to fighting on behalf of older people is enormous and long overdue. It is a very welcome development indeed."
The Ministers confirmed the next stage in the process is to agree on the role, remit and powers of a Commissioner. This will be carried out with wide consultation. Legislation is required to create this position and the Executive is aiming to have someone in post by early 2009.
TRAINING - Workers' Educational Association
From learning to surf the net to visiting the European Parliament
On Tuesday 11th December older people joined together in Dee Street Community Centre,
For Anne Gamble, a member of Heyday and the Age Sector Reference Group, learning how to surf the net led to a visit to the European Parliament in
"I felt strongly about politicians not dealing with older people's issues. Having learnt how to navigate the internet, I was able to find out more about which countries had and which countries did not have an Independent Commissioner for Older People. I then wrote to David Cameron, Leader of the Conservative Party, to raise this issue with him and was invited to visit
Anne went on to say
"Learning how to surf the net has opened up a whole new world to me. Access to this invaluable resource will give me and my group a stronger voice."
The participants showered their tutor Andrew Higgins with praise. He was described as ‘brilliant’ and ‘very patient.’ One lady described how she had started internet classes before but had given up. She completed the WEA course because Andrew took time to explain things in a clear, easy to understand manner. Unfortunately Andrew was not able to be present at the event.
Older people in the Craigavon, Brownlow, Lurgan and Portadown areas become louder and stronger thanks to the Changing Ageing Partnership
On Thursday 13th December members of the Young at Heart Club and a number of individuals not attached to any older persons group joined together in the Craigavon Leisure Centre to celebrate the completion of Internet, Email and digital photography courses organised by the Workers Educational Association as part of the Changing Ageing Partnership. Unfortunately members of the Forever Young Club, who had also completed the courses, were unable to attend. Individuals were presented with certificates at the event in recognition of their achievement.
Eleven members of Forever Young completed the Internet and Email course. Elizabeth Lough, Chair of Forever Young said
"This course has given me so much more confidence in using the Internet. It has opened up a whole new world to our members and indeed some of them are considering purchasing laptops. Knowing how to use email means we can communicate with friends and family who live abroad. Knowing how to navigate the internet is particularly useful in looking for information on issues which affect older people such as health, transport, care and financial matters and in connecting us with people who make decisions about older people's lives. Access to this information gives us a stronger voice."
The Workers' Educational Association has developed a range of practical workshops focusing specifically on getting the voices of older people heard. These include sessions on lobbying and campaigning, engaging others, negotiation skills, publicising your message, effective communication and creating a professional image. For more information on the courses offered by the Workers' Educational Association, please contact Attracta Cosgrove on 028 9092 1231 or email attracta.cosgrove@wea-ni.com
You can download the latest Training brochure from the Changing Ageing Partnership website at www.changingageing.org
AGE AWARENESS WEEK 2008 – Age Concern Northern Ireland
Age Awareness Week 2007 was a huge success. Over forty events were held across Northern Ireland, we awarded thirty older peoples groups with grants totalling £6000, extensive radio and print coverage was received and we had greater involvement from external bodies such as the Equality Commission and Human Rights Commission.
Planning for Age Awareness Week 2008 (Monday 29 September - Friday 3 October) has begun in earnest. The theme will be ‘Rights’ and the aim will be two fold:-
- to raise awareness of the right to equality and non-discrimination and
- to raise awareness of the problem of multiple discrimination
All people are entitled to equal treatment irrespective of their sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The theme of rights will focus on the issue of human rights and equality and will aim to raise the profile of age discrimination in the hope that in the future it will be treated as seriously as religious, sexual, disability and racial discrimination.
Organise an event during Age Awareness Week 2008
£200 grants will be available to groups wishing to organise an event during Age Awareness Week. We will announce the application criteria and process in future issues of CAP News.
Profile of Stephanie Campbell, Development Officer, Changing Ageing Partnership
Stephanie, or Steph as she is known, is no stranger to community development. She has been involved in this area of work for ten years working on a variety of projects throughout Northern Ireland. These range from helping to develop cross border childcare centre as a community business to helping a woman’s group obtain substantial funding to hold yoga and tai chi courses.
In June 2006 Stephanie began working for Help the Aged as the Development Officer for the Changing Ageing Partnership, a partnership which brought together Age Concern Northern Ireland, Help the Aged, Queens University Belfast and the Workers’ Educational Association. The role of the Development Officer is to support groups and individuals to address issues which are important to them; issues which affect them and which they want to tackle in order to make a difference. These campaigns do not have to be on large national issues such as pensions and healthcare. They can be about such things as a broken footpaths, the absence of street lighting or bus shelters or help with getting your bin lifted by the council.
Becoming involved in campaigning can have many benefits:-
- You raise awareness about older peoples’ issues
- You highlight actions which potentially discriminate against older people
- You achieve positive results for older people in your local area and beyond
By supporting older people to campaign about local issues, the Changing Ageing Partnership hopes to give older people a louder, stronger voice. If you would like to get help with an issue, you can:-
- Contact Stephanie directly on 07734 553 605 and she can arrange to meet you.
- Sign up to a campaigning and lobbying workshop organised by the Workers’ Educational Association.
- Attend one of the campaigning briefing seminars. This will give you the opportunity to meet Steph and her CAP colleagues, find out what they do and ask questions.
RESEARCH – Queen’s University Belfast
Throughout the autumn and winter a dynamic research seminar programme ran at the Institute of Governance. Researchers from Queen’s, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and Dublin presented seminars on a wide variety of topics some of which are outlined below.
"The Changing Ageing Partnership aims to strengthen the voice of older people in policy making and the dissemination of research focused on the needs of older people is a key way of achieving this. The CAP research seminar series has proved to be an effective and popular way that this can be done. The seminars are very sociable and people from a wide range of backgrounds and many members of the public attend." (Dr Una Lynch, CAP Research Manager)
Research seminars during Age Awareness Week
1. Healthy ageing in people aged over 90 years – 3rd October 2007
People aged over 90 years old are the fastest growing group in the population. Dr Maeve Rea from the School of Medicine shared her research findings into the factors behind healthy ageing in this group during Age Awareness Week
"People in their nineties or older are often healthier than those twenty years younger. Understanding better how to age well and how to maintain our autonomy has enormous personal advantages for each of us as well as bringing important economic benefits to society." (Dr Maeve Rea)
Dr Rea is currently doing research on brothers and sisters aged over 90 years old living in Northern Ireland. If you are interested in participating in this research, please contact Dr Rea on 028 9097 2156/028 9097 2153 or email i.rea@qub.ac.uk
2. Housing design workshop – 4th October 2007
Dr Karim Hadjri from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil has carried out a study focused on designing better homes for the ageing population in Northern Ireland. The study examines housing association accommodation and included an audit of the buildings and interviews with residents. The preliminary results of Karim’s study were presented at a workshop during Age Awareness Week attended by key service providers, policy makers and older people. The final report of Karim’s study will be launched on 22 May 2008.
3. Children’s perceptions of older people – 5 October 2007
Researchers from the Institute of Child Care, Dr Laura Dunne and Ms Rym Akonzada discussed their review of existing research on children’s perceptions of older people. The study reveals the importance of education in fostering positive relations across the generations.
"By finding out how children view older people, greater understanding and respect between generations can be promoted and hence more cohesive communities built." (Dr Laura Dunne)
Medication in nursing homes research launch – 21st October 2007
As we grow older our likelihood of needing some form of medication increases. People living at home have control over how they take that medication; people living in nursing homes do not have the same control. In November Professor Carmel Hughes and Ms Roz Goldie from the School of Pharmacy presented the results of their study on medication in nursing homes. The study found that older people are not as involved as they could be with regards to consenting to their medication. The researchers recommend that doctors and nurses seek to involve older people in decision making regarding their medication. The study also highlights the importance of older people seeking to maintain their independence and autonomy when they move into a nursing home.
"Control of medication for older people in nursing homes is exerted in order to increase safety and minimise risk but sometimes this can be at the expense of residents’ independence and appears to result in disempowerment." (Professor Carmel Hughes)
A copy of the report is available to download from the CAP website at www.changingageing.org
Research seminars in 2008
Research seminars begin on Valentine’s Day (14th February) with the launch of research into old age and happiness. Replicating a study in the United States of America which found that people are wrong to think older people are less happy than younger people, Dr John Garry from the School of Politics at Queen’s will explore happiness and older people in Northern Ireland.
Copies of papers presented at the seminars in 2007 and information on the 2008 research seminar programme are available on the CAP website at www.changingageing.org Financial assistance with travel to the CAP research seminars is available from Help the Aged. For further information on claiming travel expenses, please contact Leona Reid on 028 9023 0666 or email leona.reid@helptheaged.org.uk
CAP Small Research Grants initiative
CAP is encouraging research focused on the needs of older people through a Small Research Grants initiative. In 2007 the following research studies obtained funding through the Small Research Grants initiative.
- Dr Karola Dillenburger, School of Sociology, is working with older people who are caring for adult children with learning disabilities
- Dr Jonathan Skinner, School of History and Anthropology, is looking at the impact of tea dances on the health and wellbeing of older people
- Dr Katherine Appleton, School of Psychology, is working with Dr Jayne Woodside from the School of Medicine to examine the reasons why older people tend to eat less fruit and vegetables than the rest of the population
- Professor Brice Dickson along with Lisa Glennon and Phil Larkin from the School of Law are examining the laws in countries where it is illegal to discriminate against older people when they seek access to goods, facilities or services such as transport facilities or health and social care services. Such discrimination is not at present unlawful in Northern Ireland
- Dr Rory O’Connell, School of Law will examine the law in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada to determine in what circumstances discrimination on grounds of age is considered to be justified under the law
- Ms Ruth Jamieson and Dr Peter Shirlow from the School of Law will be working with Cambridge Psychiatrist Dr Adrian Grounds to examine the impact of ageing on former political prisoners in Northern Ireland
- Dr Subhajit Basu, Professor Philip Leith and Dr Joe Duffy from the School of Law will carry out research aimed at enabling older people to access legal services via the internet
For further information on the CAP research programme, contact Dr Una Lynch (CAP Research Manager) on 028 9097 3650 or email u.lynch@qub.ac.uk or visit the CAP website at www.changingageing.org
Campaigning briefing sessions – Dates for your diary
One of Stephanie’s favourite quotes is a quote from Mahatma Ghandi. He said
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
We each have the voice and the power to make the change. If you want to find out about how you can make that change, come along to one of our briefing sessions.
When: 6th February 2008 11am - 1pm
Where: Dobbin Street Community Centre, ARMAGH
When: 20th February 2008 11am - 1pm
Where: The Clinton Centre, ENNISKILLEN
When: 5th March 2008 11am - 1pm
Where: OMAGH (Venue to be confirmed)
When: 9th April 2008 11am - 1pm
Where: BALLYNAHINCH (Venue to be confirmed)
We hope to organise more briefing sessions across Northern Ireland throughout 2008. If you would like more information on these briefing sessions, please contact Stephanie on 028 9023 0666 or 07734 553 605 or email stephanie.campbell@helptheaged.org.uk
AGE EQUALITY POLICY FORUMS UPDATE – Age Concern Northern Ireland
One single Age Equality Policy Forum for 2008
Over the autumn period CAP recruited six older people to participate in the Forums. Following on from meetings held earlier in 2007, the Northern and Central Age Equality Policy Forums met on 18th and 19th December. These meetings allowed the six older people to meet and debate with other members of the Forum. In order to help with the flow of information, to allow us to be more supportive of the members and also to assist in streamlining the activities and actions of the Age Equality Policy Forums, it was agreed to merge them together into one Age Equality Policy Forum. The work of this single Forum will replicate that already established in the Northern and Central Forums, it will have the same members and will also meet three times during 2008 as planned.
Further information on the Age Equality Policy Forum can be obtained by contacting James Knox on 028 9024 5729 or emailing jknox@ageconcernni.org
GET INVOLVED - CAP contacts
Would your group be interested in developing its capacity to create a voice for older people in your local community? If so, contact Stephanie Campbell on 028 9023 0666 or email stephanie.campbell@helptheaged.org.uk
Do you want to be able to get your voice heard and influence decision makers but are unsure how to go about it? The CAP programme offers Lobbying Workshops to groups who want to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to effect change. Find out more by contacting Attracta Cosgrove on 028 9032 9718 or email attracta.cosgrove@wea-ni.com
In touch with CAP
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You can now download copies of CAP news from the CAP website at www.changingageing.org
Your opinion
Any comments you have on CAP news are very welcome. We would like to know if we are writing it in a style that you find readable and if the information we provide is useful. Please feel free to contact Leona Reid on 028 9023 0666 or email leona.reid@helptheaged.org.uk with your comments. We look forward to receiving them.