In my view Facing challenges to bring about vital change
“OLD AGE ain’t no place for sissies!” I just love this quote from Bette Davis – it reminds me of something my granny used to say to me as a child.
We all aim to be old one day, but is it all it’s cracked up to be?
We know many older people feel invisible as they get older, but can we still have creative and rewarding later years?
As a middle-aged woman I often think about what it will be like when I no longer have a busy career to fill my days, and whether I will be able to turn more hobbies into meaningful activities.
In 2017, after 30 years in the NHS, I left to become the chief executive of Age UK for Calderdale.
We are a local charity providing care and support to older people in Calderdale, which means we have to generate income and do fundraising to be able to provide our services.
The pandemic made 2020 an incredibly difficult year for so many people, and it is our older friends and relatives who were hardest hit.
Now the lockdown restrictions are easing, older people face new challenges.
I have spent most of the last year working from my home office, but now, as more and more people receive the vaccine, I’ll be back in person.
I would love you to join me as I don my PPE and get outand-about to see first-hand what our lovely staff do every day and what a difference it makes to the lives of older people across Calderdale.
I am going to be asking our clients what it has been like whilst having to socially isolate; and I’m going to be asking our staff how they have coped with the challenges of providing care whilst keeping themselves and our clients safe.
I will be exploring some important issues facing our charity like: how do we get older people to be more active? can older people really not use technology? and the challenges of fundraising in a cashless society.
Gransnet recently conducted a survey on ‘feeling invisible’.
It showed that women start to become ‘invisible’ at the age of 52, while men avoid this fate for more than a decade longer - the average age highlighted for men was 64.
With around 68,000 people (and growing) aged over 55 living in Calderdale, this is one of the issues I will be looking at. For one day each month I will be immersing myself in a different role.
I could be a home helper, I could be a handyperson (might need some help with this one!) or I could be facilitating a group activity with people who are living with dementia.
I’m looking forward to tackling the challenges we are facing and to implement the changes where they are needed in the charity.
I’ll also be keeping a video diary so you too can share the experience first-hand, I hope you enjoy it.
Lisa Butland is the chief executive of Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees.
The charity provides a whole range of support and services within communities, including advice, information and general help to people aged 50 plus on everything from welfare benefits, money matters, consumer issues, leisure activities and more.
Advisers can refer and signpost older people to other appropriate services offered by Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees along with help given by other voluntary and statutory agencies.
The service is available through the Age UK offices in the Woolshops in Halifax, Huddersfield and Batley, and home visits can be arranged for people who are unable to get into the office.