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Registered charity No. 1061633. Registered Charity No. 208941. Needs Must. A Survey of Needs for Advice and Allied Services for Older People in the Beneficial Area of the West Hackney Parochial Charity carried out by Age Concern Hackney for the Trustees October 2007. Brief.
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Registered charity No. 1061633 Registered Charity No. 208941 Needs Must A Survey of Needs for Advice and Allied Services for Older People in the Beneficial Area of the West Hackney Parochial Charity carried out by Age Concern Hackney for the Trustees October 2007
Brief • Age Concern Hackney was commissioned by the Trustees of the West Hackney Parochial Charity to investigate the needs of older people in the beneficial area of the Trust for advice and befriending services
Alone, poor, shorter lives • 64% of older people in Hackney live alone • More than twice the proportion of Hackney’s population aged over 60 are on pension credit than the national average of 22% • The male and female life expectancies for Hackney 2001-2003 were 74.5 and 80.4 years respectivelyBoth figures for life expectancy are below the London average (76 and 80.8) • Specific advice needs attach to communities with high proportions of members who do not speak English fluently. It will often be older members of these communities who have most difficulty in ever achieving fluency.
Methodology • Questionnaire to Over 70s • Focus Group of Turkish Speakers • In Depth Interviews – housebound older people • Survey of existing capacity – advice and befriending services in VCS
Questions on Advice Needs • About Entitlement to Benefits • About Paying High Gas or Electricity Bills • About Keeping Warm in Winter and Advice About Heating Home • About Home Improvements and Getting Help with Replacing Appliances • About Learning New Skills or Subjects • About Leisure Activities in Hackney • About Statutory Services
There is a substantial unmet need and demand for advice services amongst older people • 71% of respondents either tried to get or would like to get advice on one or more topics; • 15% of the sample tried to get advice but were unsuccessful; • 47% of respondents wanted advice on three or more issues.
Expertise lacking Most older people who got advice did so from friends or relatives (55.8%) rather than from any agency or professional source.
Areas of highest needs Advice needs are greater amongst men than amongst women and significantly greater amongst black and Asian respondents, especially the latter.
The capacity does not exist to meet the advice needs of Hackney’s residents • Survey of local advice services; • Pattern of contraction not expansion; • Inadequate premises and space; • Too few dedicated and skilled advice staff;
Social Contact and Mood • Contact With Friends and Family; • Perceived Need for Befriending Services • Happiness; Contentment; Loneliness; Isolation; Depression;
Gender gap Markedly more older men than older women are suffering from loneliness and depression, indicating the need for measures to tackle the mental health needs of older men and to provide social support to them.
Unmet Needs The Needs Must study confirms the existence of a large unmet demand for advice services amongst older people and a significant unmet demand for other support services, such as befriending schemes.
Befriending • Contact networks contract • Mobility can limit casual interactions • Housebound Befriending a practical solution Builds a sense of connection, involvement and community
Advice • Benefits health check • Support for owner occupiers ‘asset rich cash poor’ • A non aligned option for Turkish speakers (less male dominated)
Other Initiatives Suggested • English conversation club for Turkish speakers, small steps to build a sense of connection with the host community