Yes it’s General Election year again, writes Tony Watts OBE. And, as we know, Older People are the demographic that can be expected to vote in numbers. So expect the “ante” to be cranked up between here and May.

But what ARE the issues that will sway the grey vote? There is often a suspicion that everyone votes for their own self interest, but I’m not sure that’s actually the case. Certainly any “bribes” will get spotted a mile off. And as most older people have younger families to worry about, any policy that simply adds to the burden of one generation at the expense of another will be seen for what it is.

All too often you see “sticking plaster” policies being wheeled out  – particularly at Election time. However, the politicians need to stop thinking about the next headline and worry about what life will be like for future generations as well as this one.

There is also a real risk that Older People can be seen – at a time when every generation is under pressure – as asking for more than their share. We recognise that there is no more money. We want to offer ideas and solutions that would make better use of the resources available, help future generations deal with a society that lives longer, as well as improve the quality of life for Older People today.

Older People want to be part of the solution – not just be seen as the problem. We feel that where Older People ARE engaged in the design and delivery of services, savings are made and services improved. But that all too often public services think they know best.

Integrating health, social care and housing

Social and healthcare are – slowly and unevenly – being integrated at a local level. Still, however, you sense too many organisations who regard themselves as “fiefdoms” – particularly when it comes to pooling financial resources in order to spend money on prevention and interventions that will result in long term savings for the public purse.

But the other really massive factor that impacts upon people’s ability to remain independent, their housing, is still not being fully integrated in the way that local authorities plan or deliver services.

Not enough new housing is being built to enable people to downsize or move out of unsuitable housing. There isn’t enough choice. Not enough of it meets the aspirations as well as the needs of Older People. It is often in the wrong place.

We need more lifetime housing that enables Older People to age in place – within their own communities where they have support networks in place and where they often fulfil important roles themselves. Every time an Older Person downsizes or moves into dedicated housing, it releases a family home back into the system. Often it releases money for them to spend on their care and retirement – and that would happen even more if there was more choice in renting as well as buying property.  So we believe there should be incentives – such as zero stamp duty.

But new homes will only ever be a tiny part of the solution. The biggest way forward is to adapt and improve the housing stock we have. And the biggest single issue here is privately owned homes – people who may own their home but can’t afford to maintain, repair or heat it properly. We need better mechanisms to enable those people to adapt, insulate and repair their homes – possibly creating new financial products, including an affordable Government-backed equity release product that people would trust.

Enabling people to remain in employment

Staying in employment for far longer is the reality for large and increasing numbers of Older People. And indeed, the nation needs more of us to keep working and paying into our pension rather than taking money out of it.

A lot of really good work has been done, not least on mid career reviews. We would like to see all employers engage with the process of talking to their older workers and finding imaginative ways to allow them to work more flexibly.

Promoting wellbeing, prevention and early intervention

In terms of health, public services are far more oriented towards treating illness rather than enabling wellbeing. That far more could be done by spending small amounts on prevention, or intervention at an earlier stage, to reduce long-term conditions.

Tackling fuel poverty

Fuel poverty – in particular oil fuel poverty – is a massive problem for many.  Yes, there are very helpful winter fuel allowances and warm home discounts. But these are just sticking plasters. Still not enough Older People are getting their homes insulated, and far more could be done – especially for those living in solid wall houses and park homes. Still around 25 – 30,000 older people die each year through “excess winter deaths”. Would a co-ordinated policy on tackling fuel poverty in this country be too much to ask?

And finally…

These are just some of the issues that impact on the daily life of Older People. Sorting these issues out wouldn’t cost more money and it would help other generations too. But to make it happen will almost certainly require having a Minister for Older People in place to make sure the Government joins the dots.  Is that too much to ask in a mature democracy?

Your views? We’d love to hear them! Just email info@retireeasy.co.uk