Older people in Wales are everyday heroes, making huge contributions - through work, activism, volunteering and community work, caring for families and providing childcare - that are often over looked by society.
They deserve dignity and respect, independence and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives.
In last week’s report from the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, “Talking Future Generations”, quotes from her stakeholder events in North Wales include “the people making the decisions need to walk the same path as the people on the ground”.
Cartrefi Conwy was formed when Conwy tenants voted to transfer their Council Housing stock. As they stated from the outset, their challenge was not only to bring all properties up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, but also to “create communities to be proud of”.
This summer I visited their “Focus on Photography” group with their Independent Living Manager and their Older Persons Engagement Co-ordinator, to learn first-hand from the older person group members about both the project and how it had contributed to their independence and wellbeing.
I was also a guest at Cartrefi Conwy’s Older Persons’ Day on 30th September, celebrating their older tenants and the contributions they make to the communities in which they live, and publicising the services available to their older people in order to promote Independent Living – empowering and enabling them to take control of their lives, not letting their age, or anything else affect them, their independence or quality of life.
If they have not already done so, I urge those Local Authorities which retained their housing stock to embrace a similar approach.
Our 2016 Manifesto stated a Welsh Conservative Government would implement a £400 weekly cap on residential care, and protect £100,000 of assets for those in residential care.
The Welsh Government’s failure to do the same is regrettable.
As a constituent asked me: “is it fair that some people have to effectively sell their homes to pay for their residential care costs?”
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales “Dementia- More than just memory loss” Report found that there is still a lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia, that dementia services often lack the flexibility to effectively meet the needs of people living with dementia and their carers, that a lack of co-operation between services creates unnecessary difficulties and barriers for people living with dementia and their carers, and that there are still significant variations across Wales in the quality of services available.
Alzheimer’s Society are calling for the proposed Welsh Government Dementia Strategy to set out clear targets for increased Dementia diagnosis rates, currently the lowest in any UK nation, ensure support from a Dementia support worker, ensure Dementia awareness training in all clinical and care settings – and much more.
I encourage people to attend the North Wales consultation events in Bangor University on 18th November and 12th December.
And Age Cymru are calling for an urgent improvement in services and support around dementia, including community settings, the extension of dementia training schemes, and integrated, person centred NHS and social care services at point of delivery.
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has warned that there is an increasing problem of older people being specifically targeted by criminals due to their supposed vulnerabilities.
Despite this, there remains a gap in the law that does not recognise these crimes committed against older people because of their age as hate crimes.
I welcome the Institute of Fundraising ruling that fundraisers must not knock on doors with “No Cold Calling” stickers.
And I commend Flintshire and Wrexham Watch Association’s No Cold Calling Zones WATCH schemes, which are about supporting the people who live in them to keep safe and improve their quality of life, rather than simply putting up a street sign and providing window stickers.
As Age Cymru states, negative attitudes towards older people and ageing are pervasive in our society, based on inaccurate stereotypes, and assumptions about a person’s ability and competence due to their age.
They add that the Welsh Government should further explore what role the introduction of a Bill of Rights for Older People could play in lobbying at UK and international levels for greater legal protection for older people.
I therefore commend the call in our motion for the introduction of an Older People's Rights Bill, to extend and promote the rights of older people – and for a duty on public sector bodies to consult older people when making decisions which affect their live.