Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2018 – 2021 A city where older people live life to the full Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2018 – 2021 Background 4 Planning for an Age-friendly Belfast 5 Life is getting better for older people in Belfast 6-7 Older people in Belfast still face many challenges 8 Consultation on the Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2018 - 2021 9 Key strategic themes 11 Partnership 12 Physical Infrastructure 13-15 Social inclusion 16-17 Health and wellbeing 18 Financial security 20 Measuring success 21 Appendix A Key plans and relevant strategies 22 Appendix B Draft Outcomes Framework 23 Appendix C Programme For Government Outcomes Framework 24-26 Foreword Belfast was the first city in Northern Ireland this plan we will continue to improve our to join into the World Health Organisation’s services and structures to meet the diverse Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and needs of an ageing population and continue I am delighted on behalf of the Healthy to make Belfast an open and welcoming city Ageing Strategic Partnership to introduce for residents and visitors. this, our second Age-friendly Belfast Plan. We are grateful to the many people across Our community plan, the Belfast Agenda, the city, and in particular the older people recognises that people over 60 already make themselves, for sharing with us their up one fifth of our population and this is thoughts, concerns and aspirations for older forecast to increase dramatically to over one people in Belfast and helping shape this third by 2050 and commits us to ensuring an plan and to all the organisations who have Age-friendly Belfast. committed to delivering this ambitious three Older people have told us that Belfast is city year action plan. where they can live life to the full and through Councillor Deirdre Hargey Lord Mayor of Belfast An age-friendly city is one in which people feel lonely and isolated to break down of all ages can actively participate in the barriers which exclude them from full community activities and where everyone participation in the life of the city; they is treated with respect, regardless of their told us that we needed to improve the age. It is a place that makes it easy for older environment to make it easier for older people to stay connected to people that are people to get around, stay active and meet important to them and it helps people stay their friends; they told us we needed to healthy and active even at the oldest ages assist those older people on low incomes and provides appropriate support to those and help prevent scams; and they also told who can no longer look after themselves. us we needed to make the city more friendly Belfast has a strong community and voluntary towards people with dementia and other sector, which provides a vital contribution to disabilities. improving the health and wellbeing of older We have listened to what we have been told people but is often vulnerable due to time- and have brought together a great many limited funding. There is also a healthy and organisations to work together with older vibrant older people’s sector that builds on people to solve these problems: using the the skills, knowledge and dedication of older vast skills and experience of older people to people to help people of all ages living in local help make Belfast a city where older people neighbourhoods. It is very important that we can live life to the full. work together to develop a long term strategic Iain Deboys investment in these sectors. Chairperson We asked older people what would make Belfast Strategic Partnership Belfast more age friendly and they told us Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership that we needed to reach out to those who Thematic Group Background In May 2012 Belfast was the first city in An age-friendly city must: Northern Ireland to join the World Health 1 establish mechanisms to involve older Organisation (WHO) Global Network of people throughout the age-friendly process, Age-friendly Cities and Communities. develop a baseline assessment of the age- 2 Becoming an age-friendly city is not a friendliness of the city under eight domains, defined state or end point but rather a continuing journey towards adapting 3 develop a 3-year city-wide action plan, and structures and processes to support the identify measurements to monitor 4 health and wellbeing of older people 1. progress against this plan. Transportation Eight domains for the age-friendliness baseline of the city. Housing Outdoor spaces and buildings Age- Social participation friendly city Respect and social inclusion Civic participation Community support and employment and health services Communication and information 1 Creating age-friendly environments in Europe, a tool for local policy-makers and planners, WHO Europe, 2016 4 | Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2018 – 2021 Cycle of WHO Global Network Planning for an of Age-friendly Cities Age-friendly Years 1-2 Years 3-5 Belfast 1. Planning 2. Implementation In 2014 we produced our first action a. involve older people a. implement action plan with the vision that Belfast will b. assessment of plan be a city where older people live life age-friendliness b. monitor indicators to the full. c. develop action plan d. identify indicators In 2017 we came to the end of our first Age-friendly Belfast Plan and began the process of assessing our achievements, identifying challenges 3. Evaluate Progress and developing a new Age-friendly 4. Continual a. measure progress Belfast Plan for 2018 – 2021. Improvement b. identify successes 5-year and remaining gaps membership c. submit progress cycles report 5 Life is getting better for older people in Belfast In 2017, 84% of older people In 2017 17% of people aged agreed that Belfast is a city over 60 volunteered in the past where they can live life to the full 12 months, compared to 13% – an increase of 5% since 2014. in 2014. More older people in Belfast completed 70% 30 minutes or more of older people were happy with of physical activity in a the public transport service typical week – 38.3% in 2017 they received in 2017 compared compared to 28% in 2014. with 63% in 2015. There has also been an increase in the number of Fuel poverty levels in older people using our leisure Belfast City Council area centres and parks (12%). fell from 39% in 2006 to 15% in 2016, a 24 There has been a percentage point drop. 4% increase in older people 76% of older people feeling safe in their who responded to our neighbourhoods Age-friendly Belfast after dark. questionnaire in 2017 visit parks in Belfast regularly. HOTEL 6 | Age-friendly Belfast Plan 2018 – 2021 How has Age-friendly Belfast contributed to life getting better for older people in Belfast? Dementia friendly The Greater Belfast Seniors Forum (G6) The Alzheimer’s Society has worked with a The Greater Belfast Seniors Forum (G6) is a range of organisations to train 27 dementia voluntary group of representatives of the 6 older friendly champions and create 3,635 people’s forums in Belfast; Age-friendly Belfast dementia friends. supports this group to raise awareness of older Dementia NI has established a Belfast people’s issues including poverty, calling for empowerment group for those living changes to health and social care provision, with dementia and dementia friendly transport and welfare. The Forum continues to neighbourhoods have been established work with Belfast City Council Youth Forum to in East and West Belfast led by a local become a voice in policy-making decisions. partnership delivering dementia awareness sessions, regular information events and Age-friendly Belfast events providing dementia information hubs in local We have organised a range of Age-friendly venues and businesses. Belfast information events including the annual Age-friendly Belfast Convention Handy-person scheme hosted in Belfast City Hall with over 100 older A city-wide Handy-person Home Safety people attending. We also hosted regular Tea Check and Repair Service was established Dances across the city attracting hundreds 2015, and in 2016-2017, 485 home safety of people and organised large ‘be prepared‘ checks and 140 repair jobs were carried out in information events in 2015 and 2016, with 6 older people’s homes. smaller local events taking place in 2017. Age-friendly Belfast Charter Positive Ageing Month 40 organisations and businesses have signed Positive Ageing Month has developed greatly up to the Age-friendly Belfast Charter and since it began in October 2014. In 2014 it ran most of these businesses and organisations for one week, then 2015 saw one month of have taken steps to train staff and volunteers 20 events. In 2016 and 2017 we had over 200 as dementia friends. varied events all over the city with over 10,000 older people each year. Age-friendly Belfast Volunteer Awards A total of 242 volunteers have been Age-friendly Belfast grants nominated in Belfast City Council’s annual In 2014 and 2015 we piloted a grant programme Age-friendly Belfast Older Volunteer Awards, to reduce isolation and loneliness in older with 140 nominated in 2017. people. We worked with 1,300 isolated older people and successfully targeted people from socially deprived areas, people with limited longstanding illnesses and people living with dementia. As a result of these grants 340 older people showed a measurable reduction in feelings of isolation and loneliness. SHOPS 7 Older people in Belfast still face many challenges • People are living longer in Belfast but there • Older people in Belfast are consistently is a difference between the most deprived asking for more seating and toilets, and areas and the least deprived areas in the improvements to pavements.