Editorial

Citation

Klee, D. (2011), "Editorial", Working with Older People, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/wwop.2011.56315daa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Working with Older People, Volume 15, Issue 4

We have all heard a lot about The Big Society over the past year with mixed reactions. I have no intention of commenting on this government policy but I can see the benefits of communities working more closely together to respond collectively to the things that are important to them whether that is looking after the environment, supporting businesses to help the community thrive, providing learning and development opportunities for young people, improving health and wellbeing or reducing crime. In the process of working for a common purpose new friendships are formed and each person’s contribution is valued. There are many examples of young and old coming together to work on community projects with benefits for both generations.

Unfortunately the demands of everyday life often result in many of us spending less time with our family and neighbours, than we would like. Our communities have become fractured with each person looking after him or herself and many people feeling excluded from society. The 2011 riots are perhaps a reflection of this. Despite this human beings generally want to help each other and come together in a crisis. I was struck by the words of a 9/11 survivor who said that as she tried to leave the burning building she felt as though everyone was moving as one body, as though everyone’s survival was equally important and that they were all connected.

We are facing a financial crisis with reduced public spending, an ageing population and a generation of young people who may well feel disenfranchised as there are less opportunities available to them than there were for their parents. Perhaps, in the face of this crisis communities might come together to pool their skills, knowledge and experience to help each other and improve the neighbourhood in which they live.

In this issue of Working with Older People Julia Cook’s article on the socio-economic contribution of older people in the UK highlights the important contribution that older people make to their local community. An ageing population is a blessing, not just because we are living longer but because older people have so much to contribute which should be valued.

Dr Bettina Becker writes about an intergenerational project in Pembrokeshire which brought together young and old to share experience and skills with evidence of benefits to both generations.

Marc Mordey presents what has been achieved in Wales in implementing the Older People’s Strategy. The involvement of older people from the outset was key to this success story.

Toby Williamson outlines a two-year project carried out by the Mental Health Foundation to improve the mental health and well being of older men.

Patricia Duff and Rosemary Hurtley have dedicated the last few years to developing a 360° standard framework for assessing and improving care. In this paper, they present how the 360° standard framework was used in improving a domiciliary care service.

Caroline Bernard has written this month’s book review on Keeping Mum: caring for someone with dementia by Marianne Talbot. Like Caroline, I picked up this book intending to skim through and ended up reading it from cover to cover, a good read.

Thank you to all of these contributors for another varied and interesting journal. I started this editorial by talking about how we need to work together to share our skills in helping each other, it seems fitting to finish with this story (www.turnbacktogod.com/story-long-handled-spoons).

A man asked the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said I will show you hell. He took him to a room where there was a huge pot of stew on the table. Everyone had a bowl and a long spoon that was longer than their arms. They were starving and miserable because they could not feed themselves with the long spoon. He then took the man to heaven, another room identical to the first where there was a pot of stew on the table. Once again the people seated at the table each had a bowl and a spoon with a very long handle. In this room, everyone was happy and well nourished. The man said, “I do not understand why are they happy in this room but unhappy in the last room which is identical”. The Lord replied, “it is simple they have learned to feed each other”.

Deborah Klée