Improving the Lives of Excluded Groups Working Group
Notes and Actions
11.30 – 1.30 27th May 2014 Action on Hearing Loss
Attendees:
John Wilson (Charity Support Services)
Sam Holmes (LinkLine)
Julia Barrand (RNIB)
Chris Wood (Action on Hearing Loss)
Jayne Rawlinson (Specsavers Healthcall Ltd)
Paul Chapman-Hatchett (Complete Community Care)
Mashud Haque (Future Years)
Anthony Smith (Age UK)
Michael Rodden (Elderly Accommodation Counsel)
Bridgit Sam Bailey (NPC)
Simon Wilkinson (Alliance secretariat team)
Apologies:
Christy Lowe (Action on Hearing Loss)
Sue Arthur (Independent Age)
Jane Francis (SCIE)
Item / Content1 / Welcome and introductions – John Wilson
John welcomed everyone to the meeting, and advised that the group is interested in working together to make it better for older people and address exclusion.
2 / Age Action Alliance update – Simon Wilkinson
Ø Alliance membership now exceeds 600, and Twitter followers 3000 Recent new members include Barclays.
Ø Photographic competition – awards ceremony taking place on 26th June at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. A library of positive images of older people is now available members to download for free photos that highlight positive images of ageing. This is proving popular, and new images welcome.
Ø A second meeting of SW members of the Alliance will take place in Taunton on 17th June – “the Future of Volunteering”.
Ø Around a dozen Alliance members – including the Alzheimer’s Society, Sargeant Associates, The Trading Times, Time Finders, and Canary Care - met in Milton Keynes at the Extra Care Charitable Trust’s Lovat’s Field Village on 16th April. Discussion centred around the need to encourage communities to be more dementia-friendly, and what members do to improve the situation. Further meetings are planned to review progress.
Ø Partnership Development Group held its first meeting of 2014 on 29 April. Despite the tube strike, there was a good turnout and the group discussed next steps, after analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for the Alliance in 2014.
Ø The Communications Group also met and discussed developments with the development of the Alliance website, including the new Photo Gallery, Regional Networks pages, Join Us page upgrades and home page carousel.
3 / Notes and actions from meeting held on 6th March 2014
All actions except Action 6 has been cleared.
4 / Update from members
John Wilson – Charity Support Services
John is currently working with two Church of England diocese, setting up Credit Unions
Chris Wood – Action on Hearing Loss
Ø AoHL is campaigning for hearing screening for all at age 65, because many people delay a hearing check for on average 10 years after first noticing symptoms. National Screening Committee is currently looking at the evidence. The campaign wants new member organisations to join – visit website hearingscreening.org.uk to sign up for updates, etc. Also available on Twitter feed. It is likely the Screening Committee will ask for a pilot scheme to be run.
Ø New research shows a link between hearing loss and dementia – up to five times increased risk from dementia – even more important to get hearing checks.
Ø Care Homes – improving access and experience for people with hearing loss, due to lack of diagnosis. Looking to share good practice around individual care planning within care homes.
Anthony Smith – Age UK
Anthony is an equality and human rights development officer for Age UK
Ø Anthony produces a diversity calendar every six months to encourage the celebratory side of diversity, and would like to use some of the Alliance photographs. Anthony said he would have liked mages to represent Gay Pride and Hannukka, but suggested that where there are gaps we invite people to submit entries.
Ø Since the last meeting Anthony has met with Chris and Christy from AoHL to look at role for Age UK in low level interventions in relation to sight and hearing loss, what can Age UK do to make its services as hearing and sight loss friendly, and what it can do as an employer.
Ø Anthony is working on an event on June 17th with Stonewall Housing in Bethnal Green, looking at safe housing options for LGBT older people
Ø Age UK, as a supportive partner, has joined Visar, the European project on sight loss.
Ø Age UK is developing work around older people with dementia, specifically how they engage with them, in helping to develop their work.
Jane Rawlinson – Specsavers Healthcall
Healthcall has worked in domiciliary eye care for 23 years, and Specsavers acquired the business last July, and is committed to bringing domiciliary eye care to older people, as one and a half million are entitled to the service but only 350,000 receive it. Specsavers work across care homes and domiciliary sector. Increasing recognition as to the importance of eye care due to promotion by Thomas Pocklington Trust and RNIB.Care home sector is well serviced, but outcomes are not always noted on care plans. Specsavers have developed a support package for carers to help address this.
Biggest problem is people living at home, who do not access services – estimated that 75% of over 75’s were wearing an outdated prescription. Specsavers working to raise awareness of the benefits and availability of this low cost service. Lives can be transformed as a result. Many health care professionals, including GP’s are unaware of the service.
All over 60’s are entitled to a free NHS eye test every 2 years, including if a person is housebound (self-certification). The test is means-tested.
Sam Holmes – LinkLine
LinkLine is a community support service for older people at risk of losing their independence – provides emotional support via telephone calls or practical support. Shopping is a big service area currently, and LinkLine are acting as an intermediary for on-line shopping and talking to local supermarkets about the issue. Also sourcing wheelchairs for hospital visits.
(RNIB have hundreds of volunteers available to do such things as shopping).
Michael Rodden – Elderly Accommodation Counsel
EAC provides information and advice for older people, and has a database of retired and sheltered property, and of services to help people remain independent at home. Michael explained that he is looking at how the directory works, and has moved it towards being advice-driven, so people can find the services that are available, from where they can go to the local services in their own area. For example home from hospital services now provides details of the things a person might want to consider when coming home from a spell in hospital.
Paul Chapman-Hatchett - Complete Community Care
Paul is a community-based optometrist, part of a nationwide group of practices. Paul made the point that the expectation and obligations of an eye test done at home is the same as one done in the High Street. Key to people remaining independent at home is that they see well. It is estimated that over 1M people in UK are in need of an eye test. Strong link between falls and sight. Complete Community Care provide training to care staff, who are often very young and may not stay in the job for long. If someone reports sudden sight loss it is important to report it immediately, as there may be treatments available.
The Optical Confederation formed the Domiciliary Eye Care Committee, and will lobby Government.
Mashud Haque – Future Years
The Yorkshire and Humber Forum has a current focus on:
Ø loneliness and isolation
Ø fuel poverty
Ø putting together a directory of older people’s champions in Local Authorities
Ø providing representation on Healthwatch to reduce health inequalities
Julia Barrand – RNIB, Older people’s Access Impact Officer
Ø Currently working on European project – the Visar group which has formed its own older people’s working group who will stage their own conference in July with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham attending. As a result it has become apparent how excluded people in sheltered homes are.
Ø Trying to source where all rehab is sited in the UK.
Ø Optic Project has trained Fire Service to do simple eye screening
Ø Sight Loss data tool available which will detail how many people in an area has sight loss.
Action 1: Julia to provide link to Sight Loss data tool
Bridgit Sam-Bailey – NPC
Ø Lewisham Pensioners Forum is seeking charitable status
Ø Forum is about to conclude their European project which is concerned with allowing people to age with dignity.
Ø Financial Fair being held on 4th June – Bridgit will provide some diverse photographs from the Fair.
Ø Annual Pensioners Day in September at Broadway Theatre.
Ø Campaigning for the Lewisham hospital
5 / Invitation to submit written evidence to a Commission on Hearing Loss – Chris Wood, Action on Hearing Loss
ILC is running a House of Lords commission into hearing loss. Evidence is welcome from individuals or organisations. Includes early detection, access to services. Deadline 30th June. Hoping for strong recommendations about how services can be improved and how a lack of diagnosis can be solved.
6 / Excluded Lives Pilot Action Plan – Sam Holmes/Michael Rodden
Sam explained the background to the project – the desire to provide a directory of secondary services that can make a big difference to the lives of older people at risk of becoming isolated.
Sam showed the presentation showing the survey results which NEA ran for the group, in order to test the viability of the project – see presentation.
Group agreed category of services for inclusion – agreed this was an iterative process and may be subject to change. Also the need for safeguarding, and use of a robust feedback system and need for telephone references.
Next steps:
Ø Directory needs a name:
Action 2: Group to send suggestions for the name of the directory to Simon
Ø Take the presentation to meta-organisations in the Tri-borough in order to enlist their help to populate the directory via a grass roots viral campaign.
Ø EAC to develop and host a “landing page” where people can input basic details
Ø Consider use of students to follow up and clarify data received
6 / Date of next meeting
Simon to discuss with John, and liaise with Jayne (for a venue), and write out to group members.
Summary of actions:
Action 1: Julia to provide link to Sight Loss data tool
Action 2: Group to send suggestions for the name of the directory to Simon
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