Rochdale Borough Strategy for Older People
Rochdale Borough Council is committed to improving the services
provided to older people and has developed the Rochdale Borough
Strategy for Older People. The Strategy sets out the
council's vision and key priorities in order to improve
the social and economic well being of our older
people.
Download the Rochdale Borough Strategy for Older People
The full Strategy can be downloaded below, or
for a hard copy please contact the Community Affairs Team on 01706
925605.
Rochdale
Borough Strategy for Older People
Strategy vision and aims
By 2009 Rochdale Borough will be a place
where we recognise, encourage and appreciate older people’s
contributions to all aspects of community life and help them to
remain healthy, active and independent for longer.
Rochdale Borough Council is commited to:
- Promoting a positive approach to ageing
- Helping older people maintain their dignity and
independence
- Reducing poverty in old age
- Increasing equality between older people
Objectives
- Oppose and confront ageism, stereotyping and other forms of
discrimination against older people
- Develop extensive participation in decision making by older
people including those who are frail, hard to reach and
vulnerable
- Support people to remain active, maintain their independence,
involve in intergenerational work and feel safer
- Increase access to information and advocacy services required
by older people so that they can take action for themselves
- Provide access to work or other ways to earn money
- Encourage older people to secure their welfare benefits
entitlements
- Improve access to leisure, social activities and lifelong
learning
- Make health and social care more person centred.
Themes
Nine theme areas have been identified to deliver the
Strategy and achieve the aims and objectives set out above:
- Active citizenship and representation
- Access and transport
- Community cohesion
- Community safety
- Health and social care
- Housing
- Income and employment
- Information, advice and advocacy
services
- Lifelong learning and leisure
A summary of each theme is outlined below:
1. Active citizenship and representation
Involving older people is central to our
approach in developing and delivering our strategic policy. In our
ageing population, there are increasing number of older people who
want to engage in planning their communities through consultation
and direct participation. Older people help to form the ‘social
glue ’that binds communities together. Many of them are active and
healthy. Others need support to enable them to engage. Many older
people have skills and resources to contribute to public and
community institutions.
The challenge is how to enable older people
who are fit and healthy to participate in active citizenship. These
are the "easier" group to engage with because they are able to
participate in the pensioners groups we have in the Borough and
have their voices heard. The more difficult groups are the ones who
are not so fit and housebound.
2. Access and transport
At the time of the 2001 Census 31.2% of the
population of Rochdale Borough were aged over 50. Of this group
nearly one third (31.9%) lived in a household with no car. This
figure is significantly higher than the national average of
25.2%.
The percentage of people aged between 50 and
74 who are permanently sick or disabled is 13.5% in the Borough.
Again this is significantly higher than the national average of
9.3% for this age group.
These figures clearly suggest that improving
access to services and providing appropriate transport are key
components of the Strategy for Older People.
3. Community cohesion
Older people are a source of community
cohesion, a community’s memory, and sometimes possess untapped
skills and experience. They provide, for example some unpaid care
that keeps families together, and play a major part in running
hundreds of volunteer groups such as tenants’ associations,
community organisations and friends of parks groups.
4. Community safety
Older people wish to live safe and secure
lives both at home and in the community. Many older people’s
freedom to socialise and travel, especially that of older women, is
curtailed by fear of crime. Social isolation and lack of
independence due to fear of crime is likely to have a bad effect on
older people’s physical and mental health and significantly reduce
their quality of life.
The fear of some types of crime, such as bogus
callers and burglary, can be sufficiently unnerving and distressing
to induce some older people to move into residential care. Older
people’s fear of crime may lead them to purchase items or services
such as insurance or fitting of security devices that they can
barely afford.
5. Health and social care
As the general population ages, we need to
plan for significant increases in demand from older people. Older
people-especially in the transitional and frail stages have a much
greater need for health and social services than the young. The
greater prevalence of specific illnesses such as stroke and
diabetes amongst people from black and minority ethnic communities
is becoming increasingly significant as they age.
At the time of 2001 census, in Rochdale
Borough 13.55% of people aged 50-74 were classed as permanently
sick or disabled. This was higher than the percentage of people who
were classed as permanently sick or disabled in England and Wales,
(9.28%). Nearly one quarter of people aged 50 and above (23.99%)
consider themselves to have “not good” general health. This is
higher than the percentage of people in England and Wales
(19.20%).
6. Housing
Housing quality is particularly important for
older people as they may spend a lot of their time at home.
However, significant numbers of older people, particularly those
from black and minority ethnic groups, live in poor quality
accommodation. Older people also experience a lack of information
and advice about housing, and a lack of housing options across the
public and private sectors. They should be able to live in housing
of an appropriate standard and in which they can retain their
dignity and independence.
In Rochdale 31.2% of people (64,070) are age
50 and above and comparatively higher numbers of older people live
in Norden and Bamford, Castleton and Middleton South wards.
7. Income & employment
As people age, there is a growing concern over
financial security. People should be able to afford a good quality
of life as they get older. They fear not having enough resources to
finance what they want to do.
Many older people would like to work but
encounter difficulties in doing so. Barriers vary but can include
actual or perceived age discrimination by employers, skills gaps,
ill health limiting the type of work that they can do, and lack of
information about relevant opportunities available to help older
people return to work
8. Information, advice and advocacy
services
Because of their circumstances some older
people have less access to information than others. They are
therefore less able to participate in and take up services. In
Rochdale Borough we have a range of information services such
as Age Concern and the Citizens Advice Bureau. They work together
to avoid duplication and to ensure older people are directed to the
most appropriate service as quickly as possible. All our
information services are members of the Community Legal Services
Partnership, thus guaranteeing quality and uniformity of
service.
9. Lifelong learning and leisure
Older people value learning skills and
knowledge to make social networks and new friends. Many older
people are keen to get involved in lifelong learning such as
computer courses, sport and leisure classes, and so on. However,
not all-older people feel confident about getting involved and
there is a demand for groups and classes aimed specially at older
people. This enables them to build up their confidence within their
own peer group, so they can then join mainstream activities if they
wish.
The majority of people aged 50 and above in
the Rochdale Borough (54.22%) have no educational qualifications.
This is higher than the percentage of people aged 50 and over in
England and Wales (47.44%).
How do we define 'older people'?
Older people are defined as anybody aged over
50 and old age can be broadly divided into three stages, and the
Strategy reflects the differing needs for information, care and
support for the 3 stages of old age:
1. Entering old age
This group is reaching the end of or has
completed a career in paid employment and/ or child rearing. They
can be as young as 50, or the traditional retirement ages of 60 and
65. There are many who continue to work full, or more commonly,
part time till much older than the current retirement age. It is
predicted that this group will increase in size with the impact of
changing demographics, more flexible retirement ages and changes in
pension rules.
2. Transitional phase
This group is in transition between leading a
healthy, active life and frailty. This often occurs in the seventh
and eighth decades but can happen at any stage of older age.
3. Frail older people
People enter this phase as a result of health
problems such as stroke or dementia, social care needs, immobility
or a combination of these. Frailty is usually experienced in late
old age.