A new book examined the relationship between environment and identity for older people.
Source: Sheila Peace, Leonie Kellaher and Caroline Holland, Environment and Identity in Later Life, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Dec
A report described the lives of people aged 50 and over, including information on their characteristics, lifestyles, and experiences. Employment rates for people in their 50s in Great Britain had risen by 7 percentage points for both men and women between 1995 and 2004. But people in their 50s were the most likely to be providing unpaid care. For the very old, there might be barriers which prevented them from participating in a wide variety of activities: these barriers might be financial, or related to health, or lack of transport.
Source: A. Soule, Penny Babb, Maria Evandrou, Stephen Balchin and Linda Zealey (eds.), Focus on Older People: 2005 edition, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Report | ONS press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A new book explored concepts of quality of life in older age in the theoretical literature, and presented the views of a national sample of people aged 65 or older. It offered a broad overview of the quality of life experienced by older people using a number of wide-ranging indicators.
Source: Ann Bowling, Ageing Well: Quality of life in old age, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Oct
A report outlined the progress made in implementing the strategy for older people in Wales.
Source: A Report on the Second Year of the Strategy for Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Sep
A report explored the nature and prevalence of prejudice and discrimination about age and ageing. More people (29 per cent) reported suffering age discrimination than any other form of discrimination.
Source: How Ageist is Britain?, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Sep
A report by a committee of peers said that there was little evidence that government policy had been sufficiently informed by scientific understanding of the ageing process.
Source: Ageing: Scientific Aspects, First Report (Session 2005-06), HL 20, House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Jul
A new book examined experiences of later-life widowhood.
Source: Pat Chambers, Older Widows and the Life Course: Multiple narratives of hidden lives, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jul
An article drew together demographic characteristics of people aged 85 and over from various different national data sources to provide an up-to-date picture of the 'oldest old'.
Source: Cecilia Tomassini, 'The demographic characteristics of the oldest old in the United Kingdom', Population Trends 120, Summer 2005, Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
A Bill was introduced to create a Commissioner for Older People in Wales.
Source: Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill [HL], Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Wales Office press release
Date: 2005-May
The fourth in a series of reports on the needs and circumstances of older people in Northern Ireland focused on those aged 50-64. Many people in this age group felt under strain from the responsibilities of caring for their parents, helping their children and grandchildren, and the general crisis surrounding pension provision.
Source: Eileen Evason, Katrina Lloyd, Pat McKee and Paula Devine, Older People in Northern Ireland: Report 4 - The Angry Generation, Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research/Queen s University Belfast (028 9097 2549)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
A campaign group set out its policy on age discrimination. It said that older people should have the opportunity to participate in society, including through employment and volunteering, and should not have to overcome implicit or explicit barriers to do so.
Source: Age Equality, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200)
Links: Policy statement (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
A report called for increased and more meaningful consultation with older people before decisions were made on new transport provision.
Source: Alan Burnett, In the Right Place: Accessibility, local services and older people, Help the Aged (020 7278 1114)
Links: Report (pdf) | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2005-Apr
A report said that the main political parties had neglected one of the most powerful parts of the electorate dubbed the silver swingers . It said that there were very high levels of dissatisfaction with all the parties among female voters aged 55 and over, especially with Labour.
Source: Older Women: Your future in their hands, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200) and Fawcett Society
Links: Report (pdf) | Age Concern press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A government report presented a cross-departmental strategy on the issues facing society as people lived longer, healthier lives. It addressed issues such as enabling people to extend their working life, supporting active ageing, and giving people more choice and independence in how they used services.
Source: Opportunity Age: Meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st Century, Cm 6466, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf links) | DWP press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Mar
The Labour Party published an election manifesto for older people.
Source: New Opportunities for Later Life: Forward not Back, Labour Party (08705 900200)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | Age Concern press release
Date: 2005-Mar
The Northern Ireland Executive published a strategy document outlining its plans for promoting the social inclusion of older people in Northern Ireland.
Source: Ageing in an Inclusive Society, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Strategy (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A draft Bill to create a Commissioner for Older People in Wales was published for public consultation.
Source: Draft Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill, Cm 6498, Wales Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft Bill (pdf) | Wales Office press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A study highlighted what works in getting older people involved as volunteers. Volunteering could offer a 'structured' means of making a meaningful contribution to society, once the opportunity to do so through work had been cut off. But organizations might need to be more flexible about the activities and time commitment they required, to enable retired people to fit volunteering into their increasingly busy lives.
Source: Justin Davis Smith and Pat Gay, Active Ageing in Active Communities: Volunteering and the transition to retirement, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 0115
Date: 2005-Mar
A report said that 2 in 5 people who lived in care homes, and a further 1 in 8 older people who still lived in their own homes, were chronically depressed. It called for more training and specialist health services to diagnose and treat depression; increased home care support; and community activities and transport, to enable older people to get out of their home and socialize with friends.
Source: Mary Godfrey with Tracy Denby, Depression and Older People: Towards securing well-being in later life, Policy Press and Help the Aged, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary (pdf) | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2005-Jan
