Working With Diversity in Northern Ireland - for local health and social services staff providing information, practical advice, guidance and examples of best practice on equality and diversity under Section 75 legislation. Working With Diversity in Northern Ireland - for local health and social services staff providing information, practical advice, guidance and examples of best practice on equality and diversity under Section 75 legislation. Working With Diversity in Northern Ireland - for local health and social services staff providing information, practical advice, guidance and examples of best practice on equality and diversity under Section 75 legislation. Working With Diversity in Northern Ireland - for local health and social services staff providing information, practical advice, guidance and examples of best practice on equality and diversity under Section 75 legislation.
Home
Latest News
Search

e-learning

Calendars
Contact Us

Legal Issues

Age » Older People » Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care

Health Issues
  • Mobility and Transport

  • Screening Programmes

  • Waiting List (Hip replacements, Cardiac Surgery and Community Services

  • Dementia Services

  • Money and Benefits

  • Lack of investigation of re-admission rates in hospitals of persons over 75 years

  • Provision of Ophthalmic, E.N.T, Dentistry and Chiropody Services

  • Mental health of older people – has received little investment

  • Community Health Service rationed, sometimes on the basis of age

  • Older people excluded from clinical trials

  • There is evidence of negative attitudes towards older people

  • A perception that older people are a low priority in health awareness campaigns

 

Barriers to Communication:
  • Ageism

  • Staff Attitudes

  • Disability (language, sensory, visual)

  • Pressure of time on Health and Social Care Professionals

  • Lack of respect and value

  • Not 'seeing the person' as an individual

  • Involvement in decision-making (largely ignored)

  • Size of print on leaflets and appointment cards

  • Telephone communications

  • Clarity of information (No Jargon)

  • Lack of time

  • Access to translators/interpretators.
Information Provision
  • Access to Information

  • Availability of Information being provided in a range of formats

  • Provision of Deaf Awareness

  • Access to IT Awareness and support

  • There is no access to student loans for anyone over 55

  • Access to independent, unbiased information and advice

  • One to one advocacy geared to the needs of older people

''Information, advice and advocacy are the keys which enable older people to unlock the door to continuing independence and to remain in control of their lives” (A Life Worth Living - Help The Aged).

 
Support Networks
  • Older people need different kinds of information according to their circumstances.

  • Healthy aging is a key priority.

  • Statutory 
    Access to Primary Care:

        - GP Services 
        - District Nurse Services 
         -Podiatry Services
        - Community Psychiatric Nursing 

    Access to Community and Social Care: 
 
        - Social Services 
        - Home Helps 
        - Day Centres 

    Access to Community and Voluntary Groups:
  
        - Support Networks, for example Help The Aged and Age Concern provide
           valuable help and support for older people.
 

Help The Aged provide the following range of services: 
 
        - Senior Line
          Free Advice and Information

        - Speak to trained local advisors for free, impartial confidential advice
          about  
 
        - Social Security and Disability Benefits – 'I just get my pension and 
          I'm finding it hard to pay my bills. Is there anything else I can claim?'
  
        - Community and Residential Care – 'I think my father needs help at
          home.  He isn't making meals and is becoming confused. What help is
          available for him?' 

        - Housing options and adaptations – 'My mother is beginning to find
          climbing the stairs difficult. She needs to get a bathroom in downstairs. Is
          there any financial help available for this work?' 

        - Other information for older people or their carers  
 
          Advisors can also deal with individual cases, working with individual
          cases, working with and for a caller, to move towards resolving an issue.
 
In 2001:

  • 3700 calls were taken by advisors at Senior Line.

  • These calls generated 5507 enquiries.

  • 61% of these calls were from older people themselves and 24% were from relatives.

Health and Leisure   
  • Healthy eating and nutrition

  • Mobility 
     
  • Physical exercise 
     
  • Accessible Public Environment 

  • Transport Accessible 
        - Frequency 
        - Mobility Friendly  
        - Safety and Security in the home 

Older People, New Opportunities   is the Eastern Health and Social Services Board's Commissioning Strategy for the development of health and social services for older people until 2016.  These plans have been developed with the support of an Older Peoples Advisory Group consisting of older people from the Eastern Area.  

In particular the strategy focuses on the needs of vulnerable and frail older people and seeks to create new services and teams which will build a stronger pattern of primary and community focused services.  These services will support more people at home, reduce the level of avoidable admissions to hospital and delay placements to residential and nursing care. 

 

Healthy Aging been developed, alongside the EHSSB's strategy, by Belfast Healthy Cities in recognition of the need to promote wider age sensitive public policies and plans.  The key areas identified by local older people which needed to be improved were:

  • Community Support/health promotion networks
  • Transport
  • Community safety
  • Housing
  • Home Safety
  • Poverty
Background | Facts and Statistics | Health and Social Care
This page validates to HTML 4.01 Transitional as per the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
‘Working with Diversity’ is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites

Northern Ireland Web Design by redrhino
To Top of the Page