The presenters will then join the tables for round table sessions (20 minutes at each table) to discuss each of the areas and discuss concerns and ideas on what can be done to help older people live independently.
Minutes:
o How to input to the strategies regarding funding for social care; wellbeing; and housing choices. There is a £6bn shortfall in funding for older people nationwide.
o Independent and supported living at home: many older people don’t feel valued, have a huge wealth of experience, are carers with their own set of values, are frequently dragged into membership of village organisations. DIY superstores employ older people because of their experience
o ‘Lifelong learning’ finishes at 65. Learning is critical in staving off Alzheimer’s and dementia by keeping the mind active.
o Many retired people don’t want to join clubs and need to be encouraged. Most are run by an active minority; others don’t want to join and can become lonely and depressed.
o Short term funding for initiatives does not help because posts are for 1-3 years then everything changes or is re-invented, the scheme folds and the knowledge/good practice/ lessons learned are lost. Where does this information go to? The Forum felt that there should be a minimum length for funding of 5 years with external evaluation so that those in post can get on with the actual job in hand. Evaluation should be based on case studies, examples of the difference made by the scheme, and what has been prevented by the existence of the scheme.
Action point: Mr Leyland Ridings and Kit Smith will seek support for longer term funding from KCC and DDC for Projects
o Government gives Social Care transformational grants e.g. for partnerships for older people projects which are supported by the public, with a national total of £22m and £.5m in Kent.
o Volunteers are vitally important but fewer people are coming forward because of the number the checks (CRB) they have to undergo and the sensitive and intrusive nature of the information required. Why can there not be one comprehensive CRB check?
o Planning for old age: there needs to be an option for people to continue working after retirement age which can help them to keep healthy. Employers need to be more flexible and allow older people to work shorter hours.
o How do people access what is available and keep up with changes? How do they find out about the Care Navigator? Ruth works in the community and is often recommended e.g. by the Polish shop in Dover who now voluntarily work as interpreters and pass on the information. She can direct people to other services. This kind of information takes longer to pass on in rural area so a better way of getting the message out is needed.
o New homes/ special housing: elderly couples living in houses with stairs need to move to bungalows and that often means moving away from their own villages. Bungalows are not in the LDF but ‘lifetime housing’ is; this is housing which can be adapted later on e.g. widening doorways for wheelchairs, adding chair lifts, ground floor WC/shower. There are 16 separate clauses for lifetime houses. It is a fantastic idea but most houses are already built. Many older people live in unsuitable private sector rented accommodation with a limit on how it can be adapted, e.g. very steep staircases. There must be an alternative. DDC is working towards the Decent Homes standard by 2010; some properties are too expensive to adapt and the solution is to demolish and replace with better. In East Sussex 4 or 5 parishes contributed towards building community housing on donated land which was a success because people moved in with others from their communities.
o When people are left on their own they often want to move to areas where there is companionship and easy access to services such as POs and shops in towns. However villagers may feel lonely in towns. Therefore research is needed on what constitutes ideal housing.
o Having moved to suitable accommodation an older person will not want to move again. KCC and DDC are not building these kinds of homes. Is there a place for a retirement village? The Rural Housing Trust is looking at older people who want to stay in their villages, not just youngsters. The LDF has provision for Rural Exception schemes to provide affordable housing and this needs promoting. Miller Close in Wingham is an excellent example of this type of scheme; they take a long time to come forward. Affordable housing is often a more acceptable form of expansion in villages.
Action point: details of the rural exception scheme circulated to Parishes.