Over the last year we have seen many changes and I think the biggest challenge older people have been faced with is the loss of the Winter Fuel Payment, which came out of the blue and left them wondering how to deal with it. There are many who rely on the payment to keep them warm during winter. They were encouraged to apply for Pension Credit which they did, but in the middle of January the DWP was working through a backlog of over 70,000 claims. Fears have been raised that these delays could leave some vulnerable people unable to pay to properly heat their homes over the winter.
The Council wrote to the Government in November 2024 and received a response in February 2025 explaining their decision and giving information for Pension Credit, Warm Home Discount and an extension of the Household Support Fund. My concern is always for those people who are lonely and isolated, don’t have access to IT, how do we reach these people in order to help them?
Age Friendly Photography Competition
What comes to mind when you think about images of older people? Is it wrinkly hands or active elders? Frailty or full of life? A decision was taken to challenge this perception and asked our residents for their help. The idea was to capture and showcase positive images of people ageing well across North Yorkshire through this new photography competition.
The competition was open to photographers of any age or ability, and photographs submitted would be shown in a new photography exhibition planned to help celebrate International Day of Older People in October, as well as associated ageing well publicity work and publications including our Public Health Annual report. The photographs were exhibited in many locations during October at IDOP celebrations.
There was also a chance to win a cash prize with £100 cash awarded for first prize, £75 cash for second prize and £50 cash for third prize. I joined Carly Walker and Helen Carmichael to judge the entries. Over 100 entries were received capturing older people taking part in a range of day-to-day activities, walking, cycling, gardening, sport, abseiling, climbing, they were all excellent and it was very difficult to choose.
Positive Press coverage was received ‘North Yorkshire photo competition winners embrace their age’ – BBC News
Director of Public Health Annual Report - Louise Wallace
This year’s annual report focuses on healthy ageing and can be accessed here. With a higher proportion of older people compared to the rest of England (24% of people aged 65 and over, compared to 18%), and a projected rise to a third of the population by 2041, there are both opportunities and challenges. Professor Chris Whitty visited North Yorkshire in June last year to gather information for his Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2023: health in an ageing society and highlighted in his report that North Yorkshire is an area with a higher proportion of older people compared to other parts of England, with this in mind Louise Wallace thought it fitting to highlight her report on healthy ageing.
This report explores those opportunities and challenges, building on the voice of older people and illustrated by their creativity, showcasing the photographs from the competition.
The report has helped to raise the profile of the needs of older people and generate discussions with key partners, and is structured around four healthy ageing priorities:
1. health and reducing inequalities
2. housing
3. financial security and employment
4. making North Yorkshire an age-friendly place
The report includes recommendations for each priority and a number of overarching recommendations.
As the Older Person’s Champion for North Yorkshire I welcome the report that reflects many of the discussion I have had with older people, partner organisations and from the seminars and conferences I have attended.
Falls Prevention and Exercise:
Falls Prevention sessions are delivered in many locations across the county, in Leisure Centres, care homes, village halls. I was invited along to the Selby Leisure Centre where they have a great offer that includes community walks, falls prevention strength and balance sessions, and also chair based gentle yoga. It’s not just exercise it’s a social gathering where friendships are made and a WhatsApp group that keep them connected.
I also joined in at Springhill Court Care Home in Easingwold where I met up with Simon Pearce from NY Sport, we were both put through our paces and talked with those attending who were recovering from various injuries. This is a pilot funded to reduce inequalities in a rural area
Sport & Active Wellbeing
North Yorkshire Council’s Sport and Active Wellbeing service are firmly embedding their role in supporting healthy ageing. Whilst still in the transformation stage, the Service has a wealth of programmes within council facilities and community settings to support residents to be active throughout their lives.
Engaging with health providers and community organisations across the county, the Service is collating and further developing its health and wellbeing offer across North Yorkshire to meet the needs of residents now and in the future. By utilising council run facilities, community settings and open spaces, and through the offer of universal and targeted programmes, they aim to further meet the needs of residents, supporting and enabling people to enjoy moving well for longer.
A Service working group is taking place with partners in April to develop the Active Ageing scheme.
Dancing for Wellbeing
On the One Show Angela Rippon spoke of a National Day of Dance, Let’s Dance is a new initiative to inspire everyone to embrace dance as a way to improve their health. The campaign launched on Sunday 2nd March.
Here in North Yorkshire we have been ahead of the curve, Jackie Terry-Schuhmann started Dancing for Wellbeing ten years ago in the Harrogate/Knaresborough area with 25 people attending, now there are over 250 people who join in sessions at the 12 locations. An event was organised to celebrate the National Day of Dance at the Pavilions in Harrogate, there was a session in the morning and one in the afternoon with over 200 people joining in. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon amongst people with many different abilities all enjoying the music and dancing whether seated or standing and making new friends. And finishing off with tea and cake 😊. I’m hoping this is a Day that can be an annual event encouraging people from all over North Yorkshire. But of course there is the never ending problem of funding.
Slipper Socials:
A successful bid to the Arts Council enabled our Libraries to deliver another series of Slipper Socials. At the same time as picking up a pair of free anti-slip slippers to help with falls prevention, library customers have been able to learn about age-appropriate exercises and get advice on how to stay well and safe. Northallerton, Skipton, Pickering, Filey and Whitby libraries have hosted events, gifting 401 pairs of slippers. Five more libraries will be hosting events.
Ageing Well Ambassadors
I met Jackie Nixon DPH at Sunderland Council at the Centre for Ageing Conference where she talked about Ambassadors which seemed a good idea to encourage older people to get involved and help with our Age Friendly Network. She also shared her learning from a media project where older people were trained as reporters and produced positive articles about ageing.
An Ageing well Ambassador it is a voluntary role for an adult, aged 50+, who will take action to help raise awareness and spread the Age Friendly message to others, so Ageing well people’s voices continue to be heard in communities across North Yorkshire. Ambassadors will be co-designers with partners of Age Friendly ideas, initiatives, and developments across the County. Ambassadors may promote Age Friendly within their workplace, sports team, place of worship, with family and friends or anywhere in their community.
What the Ageing Well Ambassadors do:
• Raise awareness and promote Age-friendly initiatives within their workplace, community or to the general public
• They spread the messages e.g. winter warm, by talking to local people about the message, being an 'age positive' champion
• Feedback information or questions to the Ageing Well team.
• Make sure that the voice of people who are ageing well is heard by encouraging people to take part in consultations, campaigns and other opportunities for people to contribute
• Encourage change when services are inaccessible or exclude ageing well people, making suggestions for adaptations and signposting for advice and guidance
• Promote Age-friendly initiatives
• Encourage local businesses to sign up to Age-friendly initiatives
• Recruit more local people to get involved and become ageing well ambassadors
If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador, please get in touch with either myself – cllr.caroline.dickinson@northyorks.gov.uk or at: Carly.walker@northyorks.gov.uk
Seasonal Health Partnership Conference 2024
The North Yorkshire Seasonal Health Strategy focuses on developing communications and partnership working for Winter Preparedness and Staying Well in Seasonal Variations.
The Seasonal Health Partnership Group focuses on addressing health challenges that arise during specific times of the year. They collaborate with various stakeholders to implement strategies that mitigate the impact of seasonal health issues, such as flu outbreaks, heatwaves, and allergy seasons.
The Vision:
Partners in North Yorkshire will work effectively together to ensure the population of North Yorkshire maintain as good health as possible throughout seasonal variations in weather with a focus on reducing excess winter deaths and fuel poverty.
Aims:
· Reduce excess winter deaths
· Reduce fuel poverty
· Reduce morbidity and mortality associated with heat waves and hot weather
Objectives:
1. Improve cold homes and energy efficiency, and identify people at risk
2. Increase uptake of flu vaccination
3. Ensure support for fuel poverty and cold homes is integrated into NHS winter planning, clinical pathways and covid recovery
4. To increase awareness of cold homes and fuel poverty, focussing on health inequalities
5. To raise awareness of health risks associated with heat waves and actions which can be taken to reduce morbidity and mortality
Older people are most at risk of extremes of heat and cold.
NHS Health Check and Vaccinations
The NHS Health check is a free check-up of your overall health, it can tell you if you are at higher risk of getting certain health problems eg: heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke. The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have pre-existing conditions, you should be invited to an NHS health check by your GP every 5 years. I’m not sure why these Checks stop at 74. If you are invited, please take the offer up.
Vaccinations: Older people are invited each year to have a Flu vaccination and Covid Boosters, but have you been asked to have a Shingles vaccination? People are eligible for this vaccination when they turn 70 and those aged up to 79 are now eligible to receive the vaccine until they turn 80.
From 1st September 2024 those who turn 75 and those aged 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs and often causes symptoms similar to a cold and can be spread through coughs and sneezes. It can be more sever in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.
The best way to protect yourself is to have the vaccine. I was invited to have one and took the opportunity to protect against it.
Social Care & AI Discovery Day:
This event was held in the Convention Centre at Harrogate in October with speakers from NYC Transformation and Social Care leadership; NHS England and others. The purpose of the day was to increase understanding of AI and what it means for people and practice and to build on this understanding to discover how, when and where we might want to use AI to support people. It was a fascinating day and I came away with lots of food for thought.
Care Providers
Each month I am on the circulation to receive an email from Care Provider Services Care Professionals Newsletter, it is amazing the many and varied things that our wonderful Care Providers come up with to entertain residents of our Care Homes. From Care Provider Olympics with North Yorkshire Sport encouraging people to get in shape, everyone is kept up to date with ‘Awareness Days’ – of which there are many, and often an event will take place, all evidenced with fantastic photos. There is also a Care Providers Services Choir, everyone is welcome to join whether they want to sing or join in with some Makaton, there are groups in each locality.
My favourite is Come Dancing with Care Provider Services, I’m privileged to be one of the Judges along with Cllr Michael Harrison and Richard Webb. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon looking at the photos and videos sent in, it is always a very hard decision as they are all so good. I note that everyone is getting geared up for this year and I look forward to help make the final decision in August.
International Day of Older People
This day is observed on 1st October each year. On 14th December 1990 the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish 1st October as The International Day of Older People as recorded in Resolution 45/106. The day was observed for the first time on 1st October 1991.
We have celebrated this day across the County for the last few years and the event goes from strength to strength with more and more groups joining in the celebrations. There were lots of events in Selby throughout October, Knaresborough Connectors had a fantastic day with singing, music and dancing, a really good way to spend a Sunday, Northallerton had music and a quiz. There were many more events too numerous to mention that were organised in many different venues.
This Day is not a one off but is celebrated every year, get in touch if you would like to know more.
Northallerton Age Friendly Forum:
There is a Coffee Morning every first Thursday in the month with different speakers and events. Last year a move was made from the Town Hall into the Library which is a lot warmer and more comfortable. This has been run by AgeUK North Yorkshire & Darlington but at the end of March the funding comes to an end, not wanting to see the end of these Coffee Mornings that have been going on for many years, working with Lisa Wilson and Jane Wyrill who works for AgeUK until end March, a pot of money was found to enable a way forward. A small committee has come together to make sure this event continues and suggestions from those attending will be sought so we can provide what people would like.
Ageing Better – Knaresborough
In May last year I was invited as Older Persons Champion to attend Ageing Better in Knaresborough, run by Knaresborough Connectors. There was a wealth of information available for advice, guidance and support. Richard Webb gave a thought provoking presentation, Peter Lacey and Nick Garett from Knaresborough Connectors set the scene for Knaresborough and finally Jackie from Dancing for Wellbeing got everyone up and moving ending the session on a high.
Ageing Well Summit – Scarborough
The 2023 report by the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, “Health in an Ageing Society”, provided some interesting demographics about the national importance of planning for an older population. Scarborough’s ageing population was pinpointed by Professor Whitty as a national hotspot which needs funding and focus if older people are to age well on the coast. Cllr Heather Phillips and Cllr David Jeffels supported calls made by East Ayton Parish Council for a meeting to build a consensus about how to plan for the future.
Louise Wallace and her team kindly agreed to meet with local partners supporting older people on the coast to explore how confidences could be shared and build the confidence to transform services together.
It was an interesting event with Louise Wallace presenting her Public Health report ‘Live, Age and Engage in North Yorkshire’; a presentation from Nicky Lowe and Karina Ellis – NHS Humber - North Yorkshire ICB
Care and Support Hubs
Following approval by the Council Executive of an investment programme of up to £60m for five new care and support hubs providing specialist dementia care and intermediate care services, work will start later this month to implement this decision. As well as addressing current gaps in the care market and responding to increasing numbers of people being discharged from hospital, the proposals will replace outdated buildings and will also see some more care services being commissioned from the wider care sector. This is significant investment in the sector.
Transport
Transport is an issue within North Yorkshire and we need to make sure people are able to get out and about, not just for work and health appointments, but also for pleasure in the fantastic county we live in, and be able to live in a house that suits their needs. Transport to health services is a key issue highlighted by older people, some are still able to drive but for those relying on public transport this is more challenging. A feasibility study on transport in the Richmond & Northallerton constituency is being carried out at the present time through the Area Committee, looking at transport to work, education and health appointments.
Housing
There are opportunities with the new Council to embed healthy ageing into planning and housing polices which are currently being explored. Since the launch of the new Council, the Handy Person service that existed only in two areas has been extended to cover the whole County. The service supports NYC’s delivery of statutory minor adaptations in the private sector. The countywide service delivers a range of adaptations from grab rails to half steps and external hand rails. A new research report highlights the cost effectiveness of these services. Adaptation to the home that aim to prevent falls have significant potential to reduce demand on local health services. With an estimated saving for the NHS of £1.10 for every £1 spent, and a saving for society of £4.56 for every £1 spent.
Age Friendly Employers Pledge
The Council has been looking at the support available for staff, as 41% of the workforce are 51+. Work to support the needs of older workers include:
· The Council’s people strategy includes making sure staff are well equipped for stages of life, career decisions etc.
· Each directorate has a people strategy group and will be looking at age profile data and the reasons why people leave. Analysing workforce data.
· A staff pulse survey is sent out every year. This will be analysed by age and action taken if there are any particular issues emerging.
· Coaching and mentoring opportunities available for people to consider career changes, (increase in retirement age means people are working later)
· Photobank of positive images of older people available for staff to use eg. In recruitment.
· Access to health and wellbeing support for staff including Employee Assistance Programme, intranet resources, wellbeing passport and support groups.
· Financial wellbeing support through Salary Finance, and retirement planning.
· Access to lifestyle discounts on goods and services via Everybody Benefits.
· Guidance for managers and staff on menopause. Support group and menopause buddies.
· Policies and procedures in place such as flexible working, hybrid working, carers leave, flexible retirement.
Appreciation and thanks
I would like to place on record my thanks for the support received from Health and Adult Services and Public Health. I want to thank all the volunteers whose contribution so often goes under the radar.
And to finish:
Life is short
Time is fast, No replay, no rewind
So enjoy every moment as it comes
And remember
A smile a day keeps the gloom away 😊