Newsletter
Ageing Well is a user led programme genuinely reflecting the needs of older people. Based at the Centre for the Aston Family, we organise, co-ordinate and facilitate activities to support the development of user led services and events to aid and encourage independent living.
The benefits of maintaining independent living for older people have been acknowledged, with social isolation being a major problem particularly for older people in deprived inner city areas. As a result there is a great need to provide effective, wide ranging services to support independence and give older people the opportunity to make decisions about and develop the services that affect them. Ageing Well has over 300 individuals registered who benefit from the programme’s activities some of which are listed below.
Active Ageing
We provide a range of leisure activities for older people from small outings to the local cinema to larger scale trips such as visits to Llandudno. The places visited are of local or national interest and chosen by users.
IT Training
Enables older people to develop IT skills, and benefit from dedicated, age appropriate, sessions. Training is also provided at other locations across the city.
Money and Benefit Advice for older people
We provide money advice surgeries to older people with local partners particularly smaller voluntary organisations providing support to older people. We also offer home visits for the housebound and surgeries at sheltered accommodation. Advice concentrates particularly on welfare benefits advice as many older people are unaware of their welfare entitlements.
Healthy Ageing
Includes activities such as chiropody sessions and Tai Chi classes. We also deliver Occupational Therapy consultations with partners to ensure that individuals have adequate support to enable them to stay in their own home for as long as possible.
Signposting
Using existing and new networks, we signpost older people to the most appropriate agency for advice and support on a variety of issues from home aids to the provision of key workers.
Engagement
We facilitate forums to enable older people to have involvement in decision making processes that affect them particularly concerning regeneration of local areas. We also organise events to engage older people in Ageing Well’s development so that they can discuss activities they’d like to see take place.
Nail Carers
We co-ordinate a low level, affordable nail cutting service. For further details visit www.bhamnailcare.co.uk.
If you would like to know more about the Ageing Well Programme or benefit from its services, please contact the Centre for the Aston Family on 0121 250 0777 or email info@bsettlement.org.uk.