Here is the link to our latest newsletter promoting local age-friendly news, events and opportunities.
Let us know what you’d like to see in future issues – and keep a look out for our special Age-friendly Winter Health Newsletter
Here is the link to our latest newsletter promoting local age-friendly news, events and opportunities.
Let us know what you’d like to see in future issues – and keep a look out for our special Age-friendly Winter Health Newsletter
Increasing numbers of men are facing loneliness and isolation in old age, suggests research.
Men are often reluctant to join clubs for older people, says the study by the International Longevity Centre (ILC-UK) and the charity, Independent Age.
It predicts the number of older men living alone in England will increase by 65% by 2030.
“When their partner dies, often a man’s social life shrinks,” said Independent Age chief executive Janet Morrison.
The report: The Emerging Crisis for Older Men, says older women will still be more likely to outlive their husbands but, by 2030, growing numbers of men will outlive their wives.
The analysis of recent data from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing suggests 1.5 million older men will be living alone by 2030 – up from 911,000 today.
‘No visitors’
Older men often also have less contact with family and friends than women of a similar age, meaning they are often more socially isolated once their spouse dies, says the study.
“The house was always full of kids,” 73-year-old John, whose wife died five years ago, told researchers.
“Women keep the family together and people rally around them.
“When women die, people drift away from the man left behind.”
Evidence suggests men and women experience social isolation in different ways, says the report, with men less likely to ask for support.
Widower Dick O’Brien, 77, from Reading, told BBC News he has 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren but they are “busy with their own lives” and he sometimes has no visitors for days.
He has tried going to clubs but says: “For some unknown reason I just don’t fit in. It makes me feel older than I am.
“I socialise best when I am on my scooter, when I’m having a chat to anyone on the road.
“When I’m out people think, ‘He’s a happy old soul.’
“I am, but you are coming back to an empty house.
“It’s very, very lonely. And you think why do I bother? You know it’s worth bothering. Of course it’s worth bothering but it’s depressing. It’s very depressing. It gets to you.”
Social media is a fantastic way to stay connected; to friends and family, to people and organisations – and to the wider social media community. Currently, over 900 million people use Facebook, and over 500 million people use Twitter, and that growing!
So why not get involved? Read this fantastic guide here:
2012_72-FOTE-Social-Media-Leaflet-A5-8-page2-1
The screen is sharper than iPad’s for reading
Ali Crossley, Executive Director of retirement home chain McCarthy & Stone said: There is a perception that retirees are less in touch with technology, but that isnt the case anymore.â€
Half of pensioners used Facebook and two-thirds said their children had helped them choose a tablet for staying in touch.
Up to 80% of older people say they want a smartphone
Maker Doro said demand for the product was high because 80% of older people said they wanted a smartphone to stay in touch with family.
Free ESOL Classes for women in Whalley Range
With two qualified female tutors
The women who attend our Tuesday classes range from Urdu, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic speakers: some speak very little English and struggle with every day things such as speaking to their children school staff, making appointments – or simply engaging and chatting with their neighbours.
(call 881 3744 to book the creche) ESOL classes run from 10-11 am
Call Chris on 881 3744 for more details – or pop into the JNR8 Centre to find out more.
Chorlton Good Neighbours (CGN) is a neighbourhood care group working in Chorlton-cum-Hardy and parts of Whalley Range, Manchester
Started in 1967 by a group of local churches, community groups and other local people, we are now a well established charity offering social, practical and emotional support to mainly older people in our community.
Who are our users?
Visit the website at: www.chorltongoodneighbours.org
MICRA is a network promoting interdisciplinary and innovative research on all aspects of ageing. It is based at the University of Manchester, but works more widely in the Greater Manchester area and nationally. MICRA currently brings together around 1,000 academics, practitioners, policy makers and older people to enrich the research environment and to help bridge the gap between academic research and policy and practice.
MICRA aims to:
Read more and find out about upcoming events at:
The Silverline helpline for older people 0800 328 8888 – advice • information • friendship
The Silver Line Leaflet – Issue 1
Enter the Older People Health and Wellbeing Atlas
The Older People Health and Wellbeing Atlas provides a snapshot profile of each local authority in England. Interactive maps and charts enable comparisons to be made nationally for over 100 indicators.
The atlas can be used to highlight deficits in the health and care of older people and large variations between local authorities across England. The information will be of use to the wide range of organisations with an interest in the health and care of older people. The Older People Health and Wellbeing Atlas aims to support those responsible for:
By providing a tool to:
In March 2013 the WMPHO has released updates to the Older People Health and Wellbeing Atlas (more information link to the Data Page. The data download file and userguide will be released shortly). Further indicators will be added or updated in future phases of this project.