The Chancellor is hoping to tempt over 50s back to work. He’d do well to understand what conditions this group of workers require, says Sally Wilse of AAA members Seniors Helping Seniors.

We all know the statistics: 3.5 million people termed “pre-retirement” but not part of the labour force, with at least 500,000 of them wanting or needing a job but unable to find one. A huge wasted resource.

So it was good to hear in the Budget that getting older people back to work is a priority that the Government is prepared to support.

“Experienced people” are the most skilled people the country has. And, as the chancellor said in his Budget speech, “No country can thrive if it turns its back on such a wealth of talent and ability.” We go further, and say that “experienced people” are the most skilled people a company has – and no company will thrive without them.

However, I don’t believe that the chancellor has listened properly; and neither, to date, have many businesses. What he is proposing is a start, but it will take more than “returnships” to get amazing people back to work.

The return to work for experienced people takes a very specific set of criteria, including: choice, respect, pay, location, altruism, fun, flexibility and coaching. Seniors Helping Seniors has been crafting exactly these conditions throughout our businesses for over 25 years. Today, our home care service helps seniors and their families all over the country by offering compassionate, loving care… from fellow seniors.  

People who are usually distanced from work, and whom the chancellor sees as part of the ageing “problem” (apparently), can be very much part of the solution to the challenges of an ageing population – but only, as the “A listers” say, if they “see people like them.” Yet in our experience companies turn their backs on the wealth of talent and ability. So do banks, so do insurers… the list of goes on.

When people reach 50, suddenly they “don’t fit in”, they “don’t comply” and the computers say “no!”  But this is a resource that we cannot continue to ignore: there will be 17 million people over the age of 65 by 2043.  And the number of over 85s will double by then.  

Our approach

Working with Seniors Helping Seniors, people work only when they want to, and for pay which is above the real living wage. Moreover, people receive the recognition we all need in our work: People enjoy sharing knowledge and skills. Some care skills have been learned the hard way through a very steep learning curve caring for loved ones, and people are delighted when their experience can help others. Professional carers enjoy using their skills in a less presurised environment.  Our clients tell us they appreciate Senior carers above any other carer – even family in some cases!

And it works both ways: “giving back”, doing fulfilling well-paid work and combatting loneliness is proven to keep people well.

In terms of care, support from someone who looks like you and knows what you know, and who has time, is the kind of care people want because it’s discrete. It’s also gentle and fun.

Our carers know our clients want to keep well. They talk about how to keep well. They demonstrate how to keep well. They support with respect and enjoy the fun stuff with our clients that has made them who they are – in spite of health challenges.

The last thing people want is to burden their family, and those who can are happy to fund their own independence. Seniors Helping Seniors is one way in which experienced people can be part of the long-term solution. It’s a win for carers, it’s a win for clients and their families, and it’s a win for society because keeping people well and engaged and keeping people safe, brings hospital numbers down.

As a low-cost franchise opportunity with huge social impact, Seniors Helping Seniors is a proven local business model that people taking early retirement, or who want to do more with their later years, would do well to consider. We are trusted by people who need support and by their families. We change people’s lives. Are you ready to change yours?

You can find out more at https://www.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk/

Franchise information at https://home-care-franchise.co.uk

Or contact Sally Wilse direct at: sally@seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk