Support for veterans
SSAFA, the armed forces charity, has been providing vital support for our troops, veterans and their families for 131 years and is the oldest, national military charity in the UK.
While attention can often be focused on the problems faced by older, retired veterans, SSAFA has identified a group of working-age veterans between 16 and 64 years of age who are living in pretty desperate circumstances. Although most troops transition well, these men and women are not fulfilling their potential in civilian life and their plight is too easily ignored. In 2005, 25 per cent of the people SSAFA supported locally across the UK were under 60 years of age, ten years later; this figure had risen to over 40 per cent, showing a trend in more, younger veterans needing support, however many of these younger veterans being helped by SSAFA tell us that for a long time after leaving the armed forces, they felt too proud to ask for help. SSAFA’s current ‘Got Your Back’ campaign is encouraging vulnerable veterans, to come forward for help. We understand soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen are resilient characters. Whilst serving the nation they become fitter, more robust and more self-sufficient; they are rightly proud of their role and of themselves. If any of your readers are in need of support and they are veterans or currently serving members of the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force, or indeed their family members, please would you encourage them to contact SSAFA’s confidential Forcesline on 0800 731 4880 or email via www.ssafa.org.uk/ gotyourback. SSAFA feels very strongly that members of our armed forces and their families have ‘had our backs’ and now we must, whenever necessary, protect theirs. or hearing personal experience from others (25%). Our new report, ‘Shining a light on care: Helping people make better care home choices’ calls for new measures to understand the scale of the problem. We want the Government to take responsibility for collecting information to give earlier warnings of a home providing poor care. We also want the Department of Health to commission a social care staff survey similar to the NHS staff survey asking if staff would recommend the provider they work for and whether they have witnessed neglect or abuse. Our new report also recommends that the Competition and Markets Authority conducts a full market review of the care home sector. Anyone who needs more information about how to choose a care home for themselves or for an older relative or friend can order the ‘How to Find the Right Care Home’ guide for free at independentage.org/ care-home-guide or by calling 0800 319 6789. Those who need more targeted guidance can call the free Independent Age helpline on 0800 319 6789 to arrange to speak to an expert adviser. If you’re worried about yourself or a loved one, the ‘Staying in control when you’re older’ leaflet can be downloaded for free at www.independentage.org or by calling 0800 319 6789 for free. The free Independent Age advice line 0800 319 6789 can offer advice to those who think they friend or loved one is being abused or may be at risk of abuse, so please do get in touch if you have any concerns.