Most W E L C O M E !
As Always!
Wandsworth Pensioner's Forum’s purpose is Continued: NOW As: -
Ww. O. P's. Forum
To represent older people in Wandsworth to government, local and national and has been doing this since 1991.
The Forum publishes a Newsletter, quarterly, reporting on recent activities and with articles of interest to older people.
Monthly meetings are held at which there are speakers on topics of interest and accounts of these appear in the newsletter. There are individual members and affiliated organisations. The newsletter has a circulation of 4500 currently, going to members and affiliated organisations. Copies are made available to Councillors, MPs and MEPs. Also, to libraries and organisations where older people attend. The newsletter has been funded, this year, 2009, by Wandsworth Borough Council to help the Forum in its Task to be a Voice for the older people of Wandsworth!
The Forum is commissioned, by the Council, to facilitate an Older People’s Network which is represented on the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).
The Network has attracted people who work in organisations for older people and has therefore a wider representation than the Forum on its own whose committee has usually only consisted of older people themselves.
The Forum committee, of some 18 people, officers and nominated members from the individual membership and from the affiliated organisations, meets monthly. It reviews, and comments on, issues that have arisen in local and national policies and consultations.
The Forum has, in the past,made comments on environmental policy of Wandsworth Council, on the Government's consultation on how best to represent patients and the public in the NHS and on the numbers and needs of older refugees and asylum seekers. Recently, comments have been made on a Carers' Strategy and the Action Plans for Older People's Services.
There is still concern at the lack of Lunch Clubs or Community Centres where older people can go and meet others and have lunch or just a cup of tea. The council is currently consulting on Day Services for Older People and the Forum has contributed to this.
The Council is convinced that most older people do not want day centres, yet seem to forget that the 5% or so which do want them represent a lot of people who have no choice of any other provision.This is compounded by the lack of adult educational provision for older adults who are not requiring this facility for work.
The Forum and the Network are very concerned that many isolated older people will become even more isolated and lonely as a result.
Suffer mental degeneration!
Use it or loose it ???? ??
The Older People’s Network is organised by the Forum to gather the voice of all older people across Wandsworth. The Forum receives funds from Wandsworth Borough Council to assist with this work.
The Network was fully involved in the preparation of the Older People’s Strategy and was represented on the Action groups to develop the next stage. The officers of the Forum have quarterly meetings with the Deputy Director of Adult Social Services.
Network conferences are held twice a year, the last one, on 19th November, 2009, was on Lifelong Learning.
In the last six months the Network Steering Group have met three times and received reports from various meetings attended, e.g. on health, day centre review, the LINk and on the Local Strategic Partnership where I represent the Network. Comments were sent to PCT on the consultations on primary care developments, and to the Council on the Council’s methods for consulting service users and carers and on the Day Services Review.
Comments were sent on the Government’s consultation on Building a Society for all Ages and on Sharing the Future of Social Care.
November '09 - Recently, comments have been sent on Wandsworth Council' s Review of Day Centres for older people and the Governement's consultation on: - "Building a Society for All Ages".
The Forum approve the proposals to improve preventive services and learning opportunities for older people.
A welcome change from previous policy documents which concentrated on the needs for lifelong learning for people of working age.
The Forum is discussing and will shortly be commenting on the Green Paper on: -
"Shaping the Future of Social Care"
It is welcome that the Government realise that something has to be done and also that the Conservatives are thinking about how social care should be paid for in the future.
It will, no doubt, be an election issue and certainly one that everyone, including those still working, should be thinking about!
Lilias Gillies -
Hon Secretay
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