Ageing Well in Flintshire Action Plan 2016-2020 Summary
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Ageing Well in Flintshire Action Plan 2016-2020 Summary ….making Flintshire a good place to grow older for everyone The fact that we are living longer is something to celebrate but it is What does the Action Plan focus on? not enough to simply have additional years of life if they are limited by poor health and dependence on services. The Ageing Well in Flintshire • Creating Age-Friendly Communities Action Plan identifies what needs to be done and by whom, to make • Falls prevention growing older in Flintshire a good place to be. • Creating Dementia Supportive Communities • Providing opportunities for learning and employment • Preventing loneliness and isolation Our Ageing Well Plan is part of a Wales wide approach led by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. To find out more about the For each of these areas we have created a “postcard from the future”. This work of the Commissioner visit www.olderpeoplewales.com reminds us about what success will look like and a list of actions to get us there which in this summary we have listed as a set of “to do’s”. At the Follow this link to find out more about the nationalAgeing Well in end of each year, we will report on what progress has been made and you Wales programme. can find out more at any time by contacting Helen Jones, Older People’s Strategy Coordinator via [email protected], or telephone 01352 701429. AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES - POSTCARD FROM THE FUTURE )5207+ ' ( 5 ) $ 8 & 7 7 8 Dear Carol 6 5 2 ( 3 There have been some more good changes in the village since I wrote to 3267&$5' )5207+( you last, and it’s had a big impact on my life. Do you remember I plucked )8785( up the courage to attend the community meeting in the village hall? Well, I can’t believe I actually had some good ideas and the community is working together to put some of them in place. That big group of boys who always used to hang around outside the village hall on youth club nights has been helping to make a community garden and last week we had our fi rst garden MrsTO CarolDO LIST Brown party there. Some of the children had baked cakes in the After School Club, • Work with communities to fi nd out and the older ones from the High School served tea and coffee. Any roadwhat “Age Friendly” means to them, We now have a weekly games night in the village hall and we play some of what needs to change in their area our old favourites like beetle drive, scrabble and dominoes as well as bingo Any townand how we can all work together to which is a big hit with the teenagers! I’ve just come home from a session on make those changes. how to use a tablet computer run by the Youth Club. I can’t believe you can County • Make it easier for people to get any do so much on one of those little screens. I’ve just found out how to use information and advice that they need ‘Skype’ and I’ve been able to speak with Emma and the children and SEE Post Codeto stay well, active and independent them at the SAME TIME!! It’s lovely because I don’t get to see them very or to get the right support when they often since they moved to Manchester. The youngsters at the Youth Club need it. were very patient with me as I didn’t have a clue and found it a little scary at fi rst. Now I can’t wait for next week’s session. I’m so busy now, and have much more confi dence, and the best thing is, the boys outside the Youth Club now say hello to me and have even helped me carry my shopping home. Hope your family is well Best wishes Disclaimer: This ‘postcard from the future’ exists by way of example for training purposes Maureen and no guarantee is made that the services identifi ed will be available in the future. Age Friendly Communities In February 2014, Flintshire County Council signed the “Dublin Declaration”, therefore demonstrating its commitment to make sure that Flintshire is “Age Friendly”. A place is age-friendly when it helps and enables everyone (irrespective of age) to stay healthy and active and participate in community activities, treats everyone with respect and protects the most vulnerable. We want I need to I need We all need safe affordable be able timely/easy outdoor spaces homes that to access access to to promote enable us to live services information/ wellbeing and independently advice independence There are a variety of initiatives taking place across Flintshire that have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of older people. Making our communities Age-Friendly will promote community cohesion and encourage everyone to make best use of the resources available to them. I want We need We value opportunities accessible opportunities to participate transport to for continued within the local maintain access to learning and community services / leisure employment FALLS PREVENTION - POSTCARD FROM THE FUTURE )5207+ ' ( 5 ) $ 8 & 7 7 8 Dear Sue 6 5 2 ( 3 3267&$5' Thank you for the lovely card and fl owers you sent for my birthday, and )5207+( especially the advice about mum’s falls. )8785( Mum has fallen a few times but she wasn’t telling me as she didn’t want me to worry, but I knew something was up because she was relying on that stick more and more and she was hardly leaving the house. I fi nally persuaded mum to see the Doctor and she was referred to that service you MrsTO SueDO LIST White told me about for a falls assessment. Anyway, mum has had her medication • Raise awareness about what reviewed and she has been attending a falls class. Any roadorganisations and individuals can do to prevent falls At fi rst, she wouldn’t go to the classes, so I had to go with her, but after a Any town couple of weeks she started to go on her own and she even looks forward • Provide services to identify people at to the classes. She’s made a few friends and they make it a bit of a social Countyrisk and offer appropriate support and event as they go for a coffee and sandwich afterwards. It’s made a big advice difference already. Mum is going out more and she’s started to leave the stick behind so I know she’s getting her confi dence back. It’s made Post Code• Identify and promote community based activities to support individuals a difference to me too – mum hasn’t fallen for a few weeks and I’m not to maintain their strength and worrying about mum losing her independence and being stuck at home on balance or take other steps to protect her own. When the falls class fi nishes mum is talking about joining a local themselves from falls. walking group with a few others in the class. The instructor has convinced them that if they stay active it will keep them healthy and help prevent further falls. Hope your family is well Best wishes Disclaimer: This ‘postcard from the future’ exists by way of example for training purposes Jane and no guarantee is made that the services identifi ed will be available in the future. Falls Prevention Falls are a major cause of disability and death in older people and can have a signifi cant impact on their wellbeing through loss of confi dence and independence. However falls are preventable and are not an inevitable part of getting older. A lot of work has been done across North Wales to describe what we should be doing to reduce the risk of falls, at home (including care homes), in communities and hospitals. We call these “Service Models”. They focus on identifying people at risk of falling and ensuring timely access to a range of interventions to reduce identifi ed risks. Strength and Poor vision (even when Side effects of some balance exercise wearing glasses) may increase medications may increase the can reduce falls by your risk of falling. It is risk of falls. Medication reviews as much as 54% therefore important to have with your doctor or pharmacist (Otago, FaME) regular sight tests. is therefore recommended. DEMENTIA SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES - POSTCARD FROM THE FUTURE )5207+ ' ( 5 ) $ 8 & 7 7 8 Dear Gwenda 6 5 2 ( 3 Thank you for your lovely card and kind words of encouragement. I woke up this 3267&$5' )5207+( morning and told myself ‘I’m going to have a good day’ and it’s started off well )8785( with this postcard to you. Since my diagnosis I have spent a lot of time worrying, but I had a really good TO DO LIST chat with the Occupational Therapist who came to see me and I realise it’s not all • Increase the number of towns in Flintshire doom and gloom. I didn’t realise how common dementia is, and how many things Mrsthat are Gwenda “Dementia Friendly.” Davies To fi nd out there are to support people like me. On a good day, I’m fi ne, but on days that are more contact Luke Pickering-Jones not so good, I have struggled to do the smallest task . This used to worry me and luke.pickering-jones@fl intshire.gov.uk or made me frightened to go out, but now I am much more confi dent.