Older People and Ageing

We have a particular focus on equality and inclusion for older people who are disadvantaged or excluded from society – e.g. because of their need for support, their age, race, disability or gender. All of our work is underpinned by strong values and evidence about “what works” in ensuring that older and disabled people are treated, not as passive recipients of services but as full and active citizens with assets, gifts, talents and skills. Older people tell us they want to be treated the same as everybody else, to have choice and control over their support so they can get on with their lives, and to contribute at work and at home, and in local communities. This makes sense to them, and it makes sense for local services and the public purse. 

Click on the links on this page to find out how we can help you improve services, achieve equality and promote inclusion for older people.  

Specific examples of major initiatives currently being undertaken in relation to ageing and older people include:

• Working with Health and Social Care Communities to achieve age equality (please see the Acheiving Age Equality download on the right).
• Working with hospitals and care homes to adopt person centred approaches and promote social inclusion (please see the download on the right).
• Working with the Office for Disability Issues on a regional initiative focused on independent living with and for older people who have high support needs.
• An independent evaluation of the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) of Northern Ireland, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
• Working with the Department of Health and representatives from Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, older people’s organisations and groups to develop a suite of materials on Personalisation and Older People.
• Ongoing evaluation of the Dorset POPP programme: Mapping and evaluating how the Dorset partners successful pilot programme is strengthening communities and older people’s leadership in promoting healthy ageing and responsive public services in a whole system context.
• Working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and in partnership with Community Catalysts to identify and promote the various ways in which older people with high support needs can and do take up positive and enabling roles within models of mutual support and reciprocity as part of the JRF Better Life Programme.
• Working with a range of agencies and older people’s organisations to design solutions to local challenges in commissioning and providing a much broader range of accessible, inclusive supports for older people – contact us if you think we can help you to improve, review or extend what’s available in your area.