Editorial

Citation

Klee, D. (2013), "Editorial", Working with Older People, Vol. 17 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/wwop.2013.56317baa.001

Editorial

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Working with Older People, Volume 17, Issue 2.

• •

  “What do we want – God knows”.

  “When do we want it – want what”?

  From Why am I laughing? Scottish Dementia Working Group (2010)

People living with dementia have a right to protest. We have come a long way as a society in including people with a physical disability. The days of staring at a person using a wheelchair or asking “if they take sugar” are long gone; and yet we exclude people living with dementia by failing to sign post things properly or give clear instructions in the use of public facilities. Many people in the early stages of dementia stop going out and doing the things that they enjoy, because they are afraid of looking stupid, if they have to ask for instructions, or information that may be obvious to other people. The Equality Act 2010 should protect the rights of people living with dementia, but we have some way to go as a society in recognizing what needs to be in place for them to feel confident and included in community life.

This months issue has a focus on dementia. Janet Crampton and Ruth Eley report on a project “Creating a dementia friendly York”. They propose a model for checking whether a place, e.g. city, village or institution, provides an environment that is easy to navigate for people living with dementia. The suitability of existing arrangements are analysed against the headings of – people, places, networks and resources. It is a useful tool for all councils and service providers.

Geraldine Brown looks at dementia advocacy during a time of austerity. We know that advocacy services for people living with dementia are essential and make a significant difference, but her research shows that financial restraints are having an impact on its availability. This is worrying; we must make sure that the voice of people living with dementia is heard.

Rachael Litherland's paper on the engagement, involvement and empowerment of people with dementia in collective influencing – the DEEP project, is encouraging. This research found that user led groups are growing in number and confidence, but need support in capacity building, networking and learning from each other, if they are to influence attitudes, policy and services. Financial constraints must not prevent this from happening, if we are to create a society where people with dementia feel included, valued and able to remain independent for as long as possible.

The other two papers that complete this months issue are about the funding of long-term care in Finland and how people find out about social care and the information that they need in the UK.

The paper by Minna Kaarakeinen on producing and funding welfare services for seniors in Finland is interesting, as there has been a long and protracted debate on this topic in the UK over the past couple of years. They found that there were different views from young people and older people as to which agency should be responsible for providing care services and how they should be financed. It is not surprising that older people wanted to care for themselves for as long as possible and then to be cared for by their family or the public sector. Younger people were more willing than older people to take responsibility for funding the care services that they might need in old age. I cannot help wondering if this is because old age seems a very long way away to the young and they cannot imagine ever needing care.

Les Bright has carried out a very comprehensive review of how information about care services is provided to the public and the problems that people experience when searching for this information. The message is clear; people prefer face-to-face contact and information tailored to their needs. Finding care for a loved one is a traumatic experience. If we cannot provide the care ourselves then we want to depend on it being provided with compassion. I have spoken to many friends and colleagues who have worked in health and social care for years, but are still dismayed and exhausted trying to find their way around the system to plan services for an elderly parent.

If we are lucky enough to live until old age – I understand that this is always at least ten years older than the age you are now – then we need; dementia friendly communities, people who will make sure our voice is heard, information to make informed decisions about our care and a funding system that works. This is about us.

I have one more joke for you from the excellent book Why am I laughing? (Scottish Dementia Working Group, 2010). I may not have dementia but I can never remember the names of places or people, so I loved this one.

“An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house and, after eating the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking and one said, ‘Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.’ The other man said, ‘What is the name of the restaurant?’ The first man thought and thought and finally said, ‘What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know the one that's red and has thorns.’ ‘Do you mean a rose?’ ‘Yes, that's the one,’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’”

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Toby Williamson Mental Health Foundation for supplying extracts from Why am I laughing?

Deborah Klee

Reference

Scottish Dementia Working Group (2010), Why Am I Laughing? Alzheimer Scotland, Edinburgh