Hackney Senior By older people, for older people • spring 2019 LIFELONG LEARNING Free public lectures HACKNEY DEMENTIA FESTIVAL 16 May – 29 May COOKING AT HOME Eating well & healthily ST JOSEPH’S HOSPICE Compassionate neighbours WHAT’S ON Your guide to Hackney “Love and health are most important. So love each other and enjoy a simple life in peace and friendship.” Helena Porębska Real-life stories and reports by Hackney over 50s CONNECT HACKNEY ageing better CONNECT HACKNEY ageing better See page 14 for more details Contents There’s no such thing as a typical older person 4 Putting the focus on lifelong learning 6 Ageing better in Poland 8 Cooking has been my salvation 10 Quietly slipping into disrepair 12 Compassionate Neighbours 13 Hackney Dementia Festival 14 Connect Hackney projects 16 About us Hackney Senior is produced as part of Connect Hackney – one of 14 programmes in England funded through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Ageing Better programme. Connect Hackney commissions services and social activities from local charities and community organisations for residents aged 50+. The services and activities are provided to help older people stay connected and active and lead fulfilling lives. Find out more at: www.connecthackney.org.uk The Senior Media Group This magazine is produced with the Connect Hackney Senior Media Group. To get involved, e: zelina@connecthackney. org.uk With thanks to everyone who contributed to this spring edition of Hackney Senior. Tell your story If you have a story to tell, e: matt@ Photos from Immediate Theatre’s Christmas panto, Ciny connecthackney.org.uk or send by post Rella! Immediate are providing a year-round programme to Matt Bray, Connect Hackney, The Adiaha of theatre workshops and performances for older people Antigha Centre, 24 - 30 Dalston Lane, as part of Connect Hackney. See more about our projects London, E8 3AZ. on p.16/17. Photo © Joe Hart. All articles represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of Connect Hackney or its partners. Hackney Senior | 3 There’s no such thing as a typical older person Interview / Connect Hackney Development Lead, Judy Harris Q. Connect Hackney has recently been commissioning Q. Please tell us about your new projects for Hackney work with Connect Hackney. residents aged 50+. Could you tell us more about them. JH: Connect Hackney does from black and minority ethnic lots of different things – we JH: We are currently receiving communities are at higher risk fund projects for older people, applications from organisations of isolation. evaluate them to see what who want to run new projects works and aim to influence local for people with dementia, Q. What have Connect Hackney strategies and policies. mental health problems, people learnt over the past few years who find it difficult to leave about working with Hackney’s I work with the Older People’s home regularly and people older residents? Committee to ensure that older from black and minority ethnic people are part of all we do JH: We’ve learnt that there’s no communities. Most of these and the decisions we make. My such thing as a typical older areas were suggested by our work also involves focusing on person. It’s true that there are Older People’s Committee and all learning to make sure that the specific challenges that come of these situations make people programme learns about the with ageing, but even when likely to become isolated. causes of isolation and possible facing difficult situations older solutions so we can make strong Research shows that many people should be treated as recommendations about how people with dementia find individuals with skills and to improve things. This includes it challenging to keep their interests and the ability to make looking at what we call structural friendships going, while people friends and enjoy themselves. issues – transport, how services with mental health problems can In one of our focus groups are run, the impact of funding isolate themselves due to stigma someone said ‘when you’re older cuts, and personal barriers such and feelings of low confidence there’s no time for fun’ – as a as mental health problems, brought on by depression. society we mustn’t accept this coping with bereavement, Not being able to get out as a fact. However, there’s a lot adjusting to retirement. regularly means that you can’t of work to do to build a society Structural issues and personal meet people and are at high where it’s much easier for older struggles are often deeply risk of isolation. We know that people to have fun, make friends connected. there is evidence that people and stay connected. Loneliness and isolation Interview / Researcher-in Residence, Dr Darren Miguel Sharpe Dr Sharpe recently joined the from Connect Hackney, particularly Connect Hackney team to evaluate in relation to ageing, loneliness and Connect Hackney’s impact and connections to community. “We need to potential legacy. Q. How will you evaluate tease out what Q. Please tell us about your work Connect Hackney? the ageing with Connect Hackney. DS: Nationally, the fourteen Ageing population really DS: My role is to collect evidence Better programmes are using one needs.” about the impact and change resulting standard method called the Common 4 | Spring 2019 CONNECT HACKNEY INFOGRAPHICS 2015 – March 2019 Who got involved?donut 60-64 Connect Hackney runs a range of social 16% 65-69 activities and projects for local residents aged 192 55-59 13% 16% 194 50+. What have we achieved? 167 5% Age 14% 50-54 64 173 70-74 Under 50 older 1% (8) 13% 2,761 159 12% Not stated 10% 148 people got involved in 1% (12) 85+ 121 75-79 Connect Hackney projects Not stated 3 people 80-84 569 people have volunteered – mostly White older people 41% 502 Black St2a9y%ed Ethnicity 356 Impact 80% the same of older people Local residents aged 50+ who have taken said theNyo sta swta ted 8% 4% (45) 102 part tell us that: people socially 16% 2% more or the 204 29 Asian • Their quality of life has improved same amount Other • Their health and wellbeing has improved Mixed “I wanted to feel a sense that I am doing something worthwhile for myself and my community.” St2a8y%ed Male Female 70% Gender 353 We are now in phase 2 of Connect Hackney 80% 862 the same 2% and have new activities and services for of older people 23 residents aged 50+. Find out more on said they saw people socially Not stated pages 16-17. more or the same amount Measurement Framework (CMF), so our evaluation Q. Why is it important that we evaluate isn’t happening in isolation. The framework is a Connect Hackney? set of basic measures looking at mental wellbeing DS: It’s all about sustainability. We need to tease out and social connectiveness. Everyone who accesses what the ageing population really needs – people are a Connect Hackney activity is asked to complete a living longer but not necessarily living healthier. We CMF questionnaire. Stayed need local solutions to local problemst hande s weam neede Locally we are also doing a deep dive; we are using to80 tailor% solutions to what people say they need. a variety of methods to look behind the quantitative of older people said they saw data. What does loneliness and isolation for the That’s the value of this kind of investment of time people socially 28% Male and effort – finding out what works will enable ageing population really mean for different groups more or the within Hackney? What is the ageing experience if ussa tom escale amou upnt services or broaden services out, so you have a hearing impairment, if travel is your issue, that Connect Hackney is reaching more people Female 70% 353 or if you are bereaved? awisolation or living in isolation. Hackney Senior | 5 862 2% 23 Not stated Stayed 80% the same of older people said they saw people socially more or the same amount Putting the focus on lifelong learning by Margaret Smith “If you don’t have digital skills, it’s all too easy to become or learn for fun, broaden your isolated, cut off from today’s modern lifestyle. So as part horizons and meet new friends. of lifelong learning, embrace technology.” Key to ageing well In addition, staying mentally I graduated from Goldsmiths I have been a housewife for many active has many health benefits College, University of London years but I have always tried to and is one of the keys to ageing with a French degree many years keep up studying, enrolling on well. Research has demonstrated ago. However, I have always some course or other whenever that staying mentally active as believed in lifelong learning. I could. I wanted to share my we get older can do wonders Instead of just finishing your enthusiasm for lifelong learning for keeping the brain healthy. education at a certain age (when with you and to encourage you Learning helps keep brain cells school or university finishes), to take the opportunities that functioning at optimum levels lifelong learning is when you come your way. and can inhibit memory loss and carry on learning throughout By getting involved in learning, ward off cognitive decline as we your life, whether as part of a you can learn new skills, update age. The old adage “use it or lose class or on your own. existing ones, prepare for work it” is true, I guess. 6 | Spring 2019 I recently attended a free public podcasts of their lectures online MORE INFO lecture at London School of so if you cannot get to a certain Economics (LSE), University of lecture on the day, you don’t BRITISH LIBRARY London.