Action on health and care
Record NHS waiting lists, older patients unable to return home from hospital because of the crisis in care, councils lacking the funds to maintain vital services, care homes facing closure through spiralling costs… the cash-strapped health and care sector is struggling to meet the needs of many of those who use it most at a time of rising demand.
As the biggest users of health and care services, older people find themselves in the front line of the battle for the wellbeing of the nation.
So how can the Age Action Alliance make a positive contribution?
By bringing together providers, charities and experts with the very people who rely most on these services, we hope to arrive at workable solutions as well as flag up and make our voices heard on the issues. Topics will include:
- Independent living
- Care options and funding
- Home adaptations
- Maintaining health and wellbeing
- Support and benefits
- Telecare
- Living with dementia
- Health insurance
Get involved
We believe constructive dialogue and informed decision making is always the way forward and so we hope to use this section to provide a forum for debate and a home for helpful information and advice.
If you would like to contribute in any way, do please get in touch by emailing info@theageactionalliance.org.
The Age Action Alliance is supported by
Latest News
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Access Social Care wins landmark judgement ordering Government to reveal social care data
Legal rights charity Access Social Care has won a “landmark court case” which will force two Government departments to reveal important information around the decision-making processes which determine funding for adult social care.
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NDTi and NIHR win European award for community-led research
NDTi’s Community Led Support (CLS) programme, in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded research team led by the University of Birmingham, has won a prestigious European Social Services Award (ESSA).
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World first gives hope to millions at risk of sight loss
Age Action Alliance members, Bristol-based Siloton, have announced a major technology breakthrough which will make it far easier to access vital equipment to detect eye conditions affecting 5% of the world’s population – including many older people. Improved diagnosis and treatment for eye diseases affecting the sight of millions across the globe has taken a…
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Lottery award makes peer mentoring stroke project possible
A pioneering project to support stroke-affected people in the Bristol area in their recovery journey is being made possible with £20,000 funding from the National Lottery.
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Two million older people now have some unmet need for social care
New Age UK report finds older people are often struggling due to insufficient access to high quality NHS treatment, as well as social care, and that the system is currently under-prepared for population ageing.
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Fixing our dangerous homes “would save billions in health and social care costs”
Fixing the dangerous homes lived in by older people would directly save the NHS and the social care sector more than £1.5 billion a year while delivering billions more in health benefits, newly published research reveals. New analysis from the Centre for Ageing Better reveals how poor-quality housing is incurring huge costs and pressures…
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Older people “at risk of being forced into residential care” due to adaptation delays
A new report from Age UK maintains that older people at risk of being forced into residential care due to massive delays in making adaptations to homes.
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Age UK’s “blueprint for older people” prioritises pension security and health
Age UK’s new report, drawn from nationwide polling, comes in time for the coming UK General Election. It contains 52 separate policy recommendations covering many different aspects of later life.
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With Covid still here, ILC issues plea to support employee vaccinations
Covid has not gone away, and with many older people potentially vulnerable to the effects of Long-Covid, ILC-UK is urging the Government to provide tax incentives to support employers who want to vaccinate their older members of staff.
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How images can help those living with dementia engage with life
When we develop severe dementia and our ability to get out in the real world is limited, pictures, writes Deborah Stone, can play a vital role in engagement. But be careful about the images you show…
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Spring Budget branded a “missed opportunity” to help the poorest pensioners
While the financial pundits pontificate over the finer details of the Spring Budget, and politicians of all colours ponder over its potential impact on the next General Election, the significance for pensioners is clearly… well, insignificant. By Tony Watts OBE.
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Older people’s mental health “being overlooked” through ageism and discrimination
The report, “Mental Health in Later Life” says that ageism and discrimination stop older people from accessing support, with poor mental health often dismissed by health professionals as an “inevitable” part of getting older.
Latest blogs & comments
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I’m over 50. So, when it comes to health, when is it worth going private?
What are the benefits of taking out Private Medical Insurance – especially as you get into your 50s and beyond? The Age Action Alliance has got together with leading health insurance comparison website Usay Compare to provide you with the facts you need to know… and offer two months’ free insurance*.
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Making older people’s voices heard… where it matters
Tony Watts OBE is a partner of the NHS Older People’s Sounding Board, which AAA founding members NDTi facilitate on behalf of NHS England. Here he writes about how the Sounding Board is helping to ensure that users themselves can shape the design and delivery of services that affect their lives.
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Fitness doesn’t have an age limit
AAA member Jennifer Grumbley applies her years of knowledge as a pilates and fitness instructor to look at how we can best keep exercising throughout our life and into later years.
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How transformative tech in social care can speed hospital discharges
With the constant pressure to unblock beds to reduce waiting lists, how can technology play ITS part in speeding discharge? Gerry Toner at Curam sets out how their business is playing its part.
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Assisted dying legislation: who gets to decide who lives and dies?
“The risk of older people being nudged to die by health and social care,” writes leading dementia expert Professor June Andrews, “or even by a family with ‘inheritance impatience’ is more than I can bear without a broken heart.”
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Power of Attorney: 10 tips for the delicate discussion
Leading dementia expert Professor June Andrews has some helpful advice for anyone who has been putting off one of the most important decisions we can make…
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It’s never too late to live a healthier life
Sarah Culpepper of AAA members Glass Sponge Coaching has some helpful advice to improve our healthspans as well as our lifespans… whatever our age!
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Why do we grunt as we get older?
If you find yourself making audible noises every time you exert yourself, you’re not alone! But why on Earth do we do it? Liz Lee of AAA members AMAC fitness trainers, has been doing some research!
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A stroke volunteer’s story
Like many charities, AAA member Bristol After Stroke relies heavily upon volunteers to support their activities. Unlike many charities though, most of their volunteers have personal experience of the condition they are supporting…
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How can we maximise the “wellbeing potential” of retirement living?
Tony Watts OBE recently gave a presentation at LaingBuisson’s Social Care Summit on why later life housing developers need to “futureproof” their schemes by “maximising their wellbeing potential”. Here is an adapted version of that presentation. A common theme in any discussion on retirement housing in the UK is why retirement developments here have not…
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Older people take their demand for a Commissioner to Downing Street
Campaigners have taken their calls for the creation of a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England to the heart of Westminster.
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Bringing healthcare home to patients
An “older people’s sounding board” is giving clinicians, consultants and service designers in the NHS direct access to the lived experiences of service users. Tony Watts OBE attended a recent meeting organised by the NDTi to find out what was being achieved.