Ministers have announced a range of measures to improve dementia care. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to introduce faster diagnosis, more funding for research and greater help from… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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The TUC has issued a report on its research project on older women in the workplace: Age Immaterial; Women Over 50 in the Workplace. Speaking at the launch of the report last week, Kay Carberry, Assistant General Secretary of the TUC, said: “More women over the age of50 are working more than ever before but the generation of women who blazed a trail for women’s equality in the workplace as still struggling to get a fair deal. “Low pay, discrimination, the pressures of juggling caring responsibilities and paid work, and difficulties accessing training opportunitiesare the key issues facing older women…
Transport Minister, Keith Brown, has named the successful applicants who will share a one-off funding pot of £1million for community transport. A total of 29 community transport organisations will...
Ministers have announced a range of measures to improve dementia care. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to introduce faster diagnosis, more funding for research and greater help from...
Good luck to Age Cymru's runners in this weekend's Llanelli Waterside Half Marathon and Bath Half Marathon. Nia Butler, Individual and Community Fundraising Manager says: "Good luck to all the Age...
What is NHS Continuing Care? NHS continuing care is care that is arranged and funded by the NHS free of charge outside of hospital . It is available for people who need ongoing healthcare and meet the prescribed eligibility criteria . This is also … Continue reading →
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A high number of women over the age of 50 are ‘trapped’ in low paid part-time jobs, a new study has found. The TUC said many women in this age group are held back by a ‘rigid’ workplace culture, as… … Continue reading →
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A high number of women over the age of 50 are 'trapped' in low paid part-time jobs, a new study has found. The TUC said many women in this age group are held back by a 'rigid' workplace culture, as...
February marks Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month, which we're proud to support. We were invited to celebrate the month at an information and awareness raising event in Bar...
Browse the latest retailer offers from Spend and Raise that help us improve later life. Verbaudet - new online customers can get £15 off when they spend £30 or more, whilst existing customers can...
A million lunches! That's how many have been served in St Mungo's Old Folks Centre for Well Being since it first opened its doors in the Townhead area of Glasgow in October 1963. Charlie Myrphy, Development Officer for Glasgow, reports:
Anne-Marie Gallagher, Felix Porter, Isabel McCarron, Chrissie Bray and Anne-Marie Marks cut the Birthday cake
There were 260 people queued outside that first morning. The Age Scotland member group was the first full time day centre for older people in the West Scotland. Last year we recognised their chairperson Felix Porter when he finished runner up in our Volunteer of the Year award for Scotland. On Wednesday evening it was the turn of Glasgow City Council to recognise St Mungo's with a wonderful Civic Reception hosted in the Banqueting Suite.
Over eighty guests including Gordon Matheson, the leader of the council and representatives of the major churches attended. Special guest included the first treasurer of St Mungo's from 1963; and the longest attending member – who has been at St Mungo's for 34 years. Here they are pictured cutting the special 50th birthday cake along with Chairperson Felix Porter and long time staff members Anne Marie Marks and Annmarie Gallagher (51 years of service between them).
Find our more about Age Scotland’s work in the community.
St. Mungo’s Old Folks Centre for Wellbeing
31 McAslin St, Glasgow, G4 0PQ
Tel: 0141 552 8999
Over three-quarters of people feel living standards will fall as they approach old age, according to a new survey for The Guardian. Amid growing concern about pensions , health and social care,… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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Gwent Young Dragons have quite literally given the coats off their own backs to support a local charity shop. The group today donated coats they have collected to the Age Cymru shop in Monmouth, as...
Over three-quarters of people feel living standards will fall as they approach old age, according to a new survey for The Guardian. Amid growing concern about pensions , health and social care,...
The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill) passed through the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday (25 February) as MSPs voted to include reference to rights based approaches. The Bill, which aim...
Welsh local authorities will create previously unseen levels of isolation and loneliness if they cut back on services that older people rely on. That's the warning today from Age Cymru. It comes as...
Age Scotland, the ALLIANCE , and partners from across the third sector have published a briefing paper for MSPs detailing support from across the third sector for a range of amendments to the Publi...
Older people should see better value for money in their retirement savings under the Government’s new plans to reform pension fund fees. {DynamicContent:Social Media Buttons} The proposals will… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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Age Cymru is asking the Welsh public to help us win a prestigious National Theatre Wales performance. We are in the running alongside Swansea-based Judy Barnes to win a National Theatre Wales...
Older people should see better value for money in their retirement savings under the Government's new plans to reform pension fund fees. {DynamicContent:Social Media Buttons} The proposals will...
Housing must play a central role if we are to respond to the changing needs of our ageing population and ensure we are able to remain valued and active members of our communities.
Government policy, locally and nationally, needs to reflect the contribution good quality housing of all tenures can make towards improving older people's health and well-being.
Effectively integrating housing policy with that of the broader health and social care policies is therefore a vital part of ensuring we are able to deliver high-quality and personalised care packages that best respond to individuals' needs. This will enable older people to remain at home and out of acute care settings for as long as possible – which is not only the most cost-effective means of delivering care, but also when older people consistently tell us they want.
Given this backdrop, it was to be expected that the CPG meeting on 'housing options in later life', leading to some lively debate. The event drew a wide-ranging audience representing different sectors and sections of the community heard from Stephen Wiseman and Paul Teverson from McCarthy & Stone and Alister Steele from Castle Rock Edinvar.
McCarthy and Stone started by putting some of the issues into perspective with figures showing that while people over 65 account for 17 per cent of the population (890,000 people) there are just 36,000 retirement homes in Scotland.
As this was a parliamentary meeting, with MSPs present, McCarthy & Stone used the opportunity to show their support for the Scottish Government's proposed changes in Scottish Planning Policy, which they believe, amongst other things, encourages authorities to prepare policies to support older people's housing and allocate sites for them to be built. They also welcomed the Social Care (Self Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 which aims to give people more choice and control, should they wish, in planning the care they receive.
Despite positive moves within planning policy however, the team from McCarthy & Stone did highlight the current lack of competition they have in the private retirement home market in Scotland. Perhaps surprisingly to some in the audience, they stressed how they would welcome other companies entering into this market in the future.
Next up was Alister Steele, from Castle Rock Edinvar, Scottish charity and registered social landlord, who own and manage 7000 properties. With more than 2,000 of these properties being occupied by 'older' customers, they have appointed a Head of Older People's Services. Alister spoke of the community approach to their housing, including engagement with the older people themselves.
Following the presentations the issue of age restrictions was discussed. McCarthy & Stone currently markets its retirement living to people aged 60 and over and its assisted living units to those aged 70 and over. A representative of HIV Scotland highlighted the fact that more than 50 per cent of people with HIV in the UK will be aged 50 or over by next year. The question was therefore asked about whether age restrictions on private older people's housing were the right way to go, given that some younger older people may have needs that mean they want to look at such options at an earlier age.
A question around the size of the housing association waiting list was posed to Alister Steele. He said that although less housing association homes were being built now than in the past, local authorities were actually starting to build homes themselves again so the supply is about the same as in recent years, although there is still a shortage.
Housing is a key issue for Age Scotland and we'll be bringing you more thoughts from those within the sector over the coming months. We're also delighted to be holding our free inaugural housing conference next month (31 March). The event will focus on what support is available to help people maintain a good quality of life in their own home for as long as possible. Find out more and book your place.
The next meeting of the Cross-Party Group on Older People, Age and Ageing is on the theme of ending loneliness and isolation and will be on Thursday 24 April at 1pm-2pm in the Scottish Parliament. Please email hannah.lister@agescotland.org.uk if you'd like to attend.
We'll be keeping you informed of upcoming meetings of the CPG on our website. If there's something coming up that really matters to you or your community, you can get in touch with your MSP to highlight it and ask them to attend to find out more. If you're not sure who your MSP is you can find out here.
Age UK and technology company Breezie team up to offer a new personalised, intuitive tablet, specifically designed for people less familiar with digital technology. {DynamicContent:Social Media… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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Age UK and technology company Breezie team up to offer a new personalised, intuitive tablet, specifically designed for people less familiar with digital technology. {DynamicContent:Social Media...
Some patients in rural areas of England could be left without a GP practice as a result of reductions in national funding, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned. The Minimum Practice… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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Age Cymru is calling on the people of Wales to celebrate Wales and Welshness during 'Big Welsh Month' in March. We are organising the fun-filled month to raise funds to support our work with older...
Mae Age Cymru yn galw ar bobl Cymru i ddathlu Cymru a Chymreictod yn ystod 'Mis Mawr Cymru' ym mis Mawrth. Rydym yn trefnu y mis llawn hwyl i godi arian i gefnogi ein gwaith gyda pobl hŷn. Meddai E...
With the release of the draft Active Ageing Strategy 2014-2020 today by OFMdFM, Age NI welcomes the long-overdue focus on our ageing population. Duane Farrell, Director of Policy at Age NI explains...
Some patients in rural areas of England could be left without a GP practice as a result of reductions in national funding, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned. The Minimum Practice...
In 2013 the number of people in work rose by 396,000 to 30.15 million and the number of unemployed fell by 161,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. Against this background, a record number of 50 to 64 year olds were in work in during the fourth quarter of the year. An additional 105,000 in the 50-64 age group were in work compared with the third quarter, with the total rising to 7.86 million, representing an employment rate of 68.3%. There was a sharper in increase in the number of women in work in the quarter (up 1.8% over…
Age UK has called for action on the ‘growing and serious’ problem of excessive drinking among older people. The charity is speaking out after official figures showed mortality rates due to alcohol,… continue reading Powered by WPeMatico
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The time is now to make NI a great place to age 'An ageing society affects everyone: these issues require open debate and leadership by the Government and all political parties. The challenges are ...
Age UK has called for action on the 'growing and serious' problem of excessive drinking among older people. The charity is speaking out after official figures showed mortality rates due to alcohol...
Cardiff and Pontypridd's over 60s can now find out if they can boost their income by taking the Age Cymru 'Spread the Warmth Challenge'. We are inviting older people to make an appointment to speak...
Obese people over the age of 65 are 31% more likely to suffer a fall than those of a healthy weight, new research from Australia has suggested. ‘Falls are one of the most common causes of injury fo… continue reading … Continue reading →
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Age Cymru has welcomed the Welsh Government's commitment to fund the concessionary travel pass for the next three years. The Welsh Government's Transport Minister Edwina Hart has pledged £189 milli...
Jacqui Corscadden, Age NI Services Manager said, 'Our Advice Service is receiving lots of calls from people who are concerned or confused about community care, which is the support that helps peopl...
Age Scotland has joined forces with Patient Opinion to encourage NHS users to express their opinion on the services they have received. The Charity has added Patient Opinion's online feedback...
Robert started volunteering with us many years ago on school work experience. We are very proud of Robert as he has just been accepted to Oxford University. He tells us why he has stayed with us for the last 4 years.
Robert volunteering at the Age Scotland shop in Stockbridge
It was January of 2011, and I needed to get three months of volunteering under my belt to complete my Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze award. Being only 14, I was slightly apprehensive and did not know what to expect when I walked into the Age Scotland shop in Stockbridge to ask manager Amanda Lawrie if I could do an hour a week's volunteering. To be frank, I was not looking forward to the experience, as I would be spending this time in an unfamiliar setting, with people I'd never met, probably doing rather dull and menial tasks; I dare say, this is probably why people my age might be put off volunteering.
My worries were very quickly put to rest, however, as I was taken under the wing of Amanda and assistant manager Lydia Wishart. They both took it upon themselves to make me feel at home in the shop setting, to show me the ropes in everything from labelling correctly to using the till, as well as answering any questions I might have had. As a result, I very quickly settled in, and I became a regular sight on a Thursday afternoon in the shop.
After turning 16, I was trained in using the till and was allowed to start serving clients, and I have been gradually entrusted with carrying out tasks which require more and more responsibility, such as answering the phone, and ensuring Gift Aid donations are filled out and labelled correctly. My post involves being front and centre of the shop, and when at the till, clients rely on me to answer any questions they might have, ranging from whether we have any particular items in stock to where the nearest bus stop is; this is all on top of ringing up items. I enjoy this role enormously, as my colleagues are all wonderfully friendly, I really enjoy serving clients, and I get to meet all sorts of new people on the way – all on top of doing valuable work for a deserving cause.
Over my three years of volunteering in this shop, I feel I have benefitted enormously from the experience of working in a shop environment, and carrying out all of the responsibilities which come with such a role. My volunteering has effectively been a very long stint of work experience, and I would encourage anyone who is still at school from the age of 14 upwards to do something similar – not only for the reason that I could get a very favourable reference from the shop for my CV when applying for jobs in the future, but simply because volunteering is a fantastic way of meeting new people, learning important skills for the future, and fundamentally helping a worthwhile cause.
If you want to better yourself and learn valuable new skills, as well as make a contribution to the community at large, volunteering with Age Scotland might be for you!
We all wish Robert all the best at Oxford and hope that he keeps in touch!
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Volunteering with Age Scotland
Obese people over the age of 65 are 31% more likely to suffer a fall than those of a healthy weight, new research from Australia has suggested. 'Falls are one of the most common causes of injury fo...
Volunteers are needed for My Life, My Way, an innovative service providing support for older people with dementia and their carers, is now available in the Belfast and Northern Trust areas. This is...
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