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EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME

EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME. Alan Walker Professor of Social Policy University of Sheffield UK. Presentation for the Progressive Democrats’ Conference ‘Ageing Ireland: shaping the future’, Dublin 16 January 2004.

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EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME

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  1. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME Alan WalkerProfessor of Social PolicyUniversity of Sheffield UK Presentation for the Progressive Democrats’ Conference ‘Ageing Ireland: shaping the future’, Dublin 16 January 2004

  2. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME • The ESRC Growing Older Programme • Older People’s Perspectives on QOL • Inequalities in QOL • Older People and Services • Conclusion Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  3. THE ESRC GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES: 1. 2. To establish a broad based multidisciplinary and co-ordinated Programme of research on different aspects of quality of life in old age. To try to contribute to the development of policies and practice in the field and, thereby, to extend quality life. Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  4. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME GO TOPICS: 1. Defining and measuring quality of life (5 projects) 2. Inequalities in quality of life (5 projects) 3. Technology and the built environment (2 projects) 4. Healthy and active ageing (3 projects) 5. Family and support networks (5 projects) 6. Participation and activity in later life (4 projects) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  5. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME The inter-ministerial group on older people has had a national programme of its own for 'listening to older people', but with the completion of the ESRC programme, it can now turn from its parish library to the equivalent of the British Library, with a vast source of older people's views that should be able to answer many of the questions ministers want to ask. Malcolm Dean Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  6. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  7. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME Older People’s Perspectives on QOL Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  8. THE FOUNDATION OF AGOOD QOL IN OLD AGE • having good social relationships with family, friends and neighbours; • having social roles and participating in social and voluntary activities, plus other activities/hobbies performed alone; • having good health and functional ability; • living in a good home and neighbourhood; • having a positive outlook and psychological well-being; • having adequate income; • maintaining independence and control over one's life. • Source: Bowling et al (2002) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  9. MAXIMISING QUALITY OF LIFE • Maintaining health and independence, social activities and relationships, • Neighbourly and safe areas, • Local amenities and services, • Participation, • Transport, • Finance. Source: Bowling et al (2002) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  10. STRATEGIES TO MAXIMISE QOL • Positive thinking/upward perceptions, • Learning and being enabled to take control, • Involvement in activities, • Healthy lifestyles. Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  11. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME Inequalities in QOL Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  12. ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN FACTORSCONTRIBUTING TO QUALITY OF LIFE Source: Nazroo et al (2003) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  13. EQUIVALISED INCOME: 50 OR OLDER Health Survey for England 1999 Source: Nazroo et al (2003) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  14. QUALITATIVE FINDINGS:INFLUENCES ON QUALITY OF LIFE • Having a role • Income and wealth • Support networks • Health: mental and physical, coping • Having time • Relative independence and dealing with dependency Source: Nazroo et al (2003) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  15. FORMS OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION • Material resources • Social relations • Civic activities • Basic services • Neighbourhood Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  16. EXPERIENCE OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION Material: high poverty rates especially among older Somali and Pakistani people Social relations: one in seven very/severely lonely Civic activities: one in seven excluded Basic services: one in four excluded from services in and beyond the home Neighbourhood: two fifths feel very unsafe after dark Source: Scharf et al (2003) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  17. MULTIPLE EXCLUSION The ‘included’ - not excluded on any of the five types (30% of older people) The ‘vulnerable’ - excluded on a single type (31%) The ‘excluded’ - multiple forms of exclusion (39%) Source: Scharf et al (2003) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  18. POLICIES TO COMBAT EXCLUSION • Need for ‘joined-up’ policies • Need to tackle different forms of exclusion • Need for policies that build on the commitment of older people to their neighbourhoods Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  19. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME Older People and Services Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  20. OLDER PEOPLE AND SERVICES • Needs talk vs Self talk Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  21. OLDER DISABLED PEOPLE’SATTITUDES TOWARDS SOCIAL SERVICES • Residential and nursing homes are for people who are confused • Residential and nursing homes are for people without a caring family • Day care is for a different class of person • Home care is for people who are lazy • Social Services are for those who can no longer decide for themselves • Social Services are for those who are too poor to pay for themselves Source: Baldock and Hadlow (2002) Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  22. OLDER PEOPLE’S ATTITUDESTOWARDS SOCIAL SERVICES ‘I can’t apply for help. That would be admitting failure.’ ‘I don’t want help (from social workers etc)… I want to be independent.’ Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

  23. EXTENDING QUALITY LIFE: THE UK GROWING OLDER PROGRAMME CONCLUSION: The need for a strategy for ageing well Extending Quality Life: the UK Growing Older Programme, Dublin 16 January 2004

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