Elderly ‘feel left out over decisions made at local level’
MANY older people feel they don’t have a voice in local decision making, according to an Age Cymru survey of more than 1,000 older people in Wales.
Basic local authority facilities such as public toilets and safe pavements are also areas that need action.
Asked to score local facilities with marks out of 10, public toilets fared worst with a score of just 3.3, followed closely by a voice in decision making with 4.5, and pavements with 4.6.
Many older people said their local authority doesn’t engage with them when making decisions and plans affecting their local community.
Some respondents said local councils, and other organisations, had become overly reliant on online communications, despite the fact many older people were not online.
This means the thousands of digitally-excluded older people are unlikely to get their views and concerns heard by key decision makers.
Age Cymru chief executive Victoria Lloyd said: “It is vitally important that the voices of older people are heard so that local plans can contribute towards creating an age-friendly Wales.”
The lack of public toilet facilities was the key factor for many older people while others said cleanliness, accessibility and limited opening hours were problematic.
One respondent said: “Closure of public toilets is pushing people out of traditional towns.”
Ms Lloyd said: “Generally speaking older people need to use a toilet
Overall Ratings Out Of 100
Blaenau Gwent ................ 57.08
Bridgend ................................... 58.34
Caerphilly ........................ 56.16
Cardiff ........................................ 61.37
Carmarthenshire ............. 57.61
Ceredigion ............................... 57.99
Conwy .............................. 53.81
Denbighshire .......................... 59.23
Flintshire ......................... 46.62
Gwynedd .................................. 58.41
Isle Of Anglesey .............. 53.30
Merthyr Tydfil .......................... 51.66
Monmouthshire .............. 60.66
Neath Port Talbot ................... 50.74
Newport .......................... 61.21
Pembrokeshire ....................... 56.34
Powys ............................... 42.48
Rhondda Cynon Taf .............. 53.04
Swansea ........................... 60.33
Torfaen ...................................... 59.45
Vale Of Glamorgan ......... 61.64
Wrexham .................................. 55.62
more often than other age groups, so to engage with their community they need to be confident that there will be clean and accessible public toilets available whenever they are out and about.”
Safe pavements are crucial to enabling older people to visit their local towns and villages to buy food, access money and attend medical appointments. However, more than a third of the respondents rated the pavements in their community with a score of just three or less out of 10.
Older people told the survey that hazards such as uneven surfaces, illegally parked cars, and pavements obstructed with bins restricted access for users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Others said dog fouling and litter added to the problems.
One respondent told the survey: “As an older person I am concerned about the issues that prevent or limit older people from being involved in their community. Uncoordinated transport, limited access to public toilets, anti-social behaviour, and hazards for those with mobility problems add to the number who feel isolated and lonely.”
However, many spoke highly of some of the services in their area. Access to local services such as banks and shops, public transport, suitable places to meet, and local health and social services all scored nearly seven out of 10.
Despite the well-documented pressures, many respondents praised their local health and social services with one 83-year-old saying they feel well cared for. However, many reported difficulty in getting a GP appointment. Ms Lloyd said: “It is refreshing to hear that, despite budgetary pressures, local councils are supporting older people in many aspects of their lives. Being able to take part in community life, with good access to local services and facilities is a lifeline for many older people.
“We hope this report will help councils focus on those areas that need improving. But we also hope it will encourage councils to share the good practices that are occurring in our communities, so we can all work together to help create an agefriendly Wales.”
The survey asked respondents to score 10 features of their community with marks out of 10.
The 10 features were: public toilets, your voice, pavements, public seating and places to rest, neighbourhood safety, information and advice, health and social services, places to meet, public transport and local services.