Can you help make the UK the best country in the world to grow older in?
That’s the question the charity Independent Age is asking on the anniversary of a landmark report published in the House of Lords last year.
The report, Ready for Ageing, found that the UK was “woefully underprepared” for its ageing population.
Independent Age, supported by seven of the UK’s most influential charities for older people, has launched its own report to call on all political parties to act now to address the needs of our ageing population.
The report, 2030 Vision, the best – and worst – futures for older people in the UK looks at some of the major issues affecting older people today and predicts what life will be like in 2030 depending what politicians do today.
And now Independent Age is running a consultation to find out what you think.
Every day, until April 17th we will be publishing articles and blogs on seven key themes covering a range of issues and we want your responses.
We are asking your views on two simple questions:
Q. What do you think needs to happen to make the UK the best country to grow older in?
Q. What concerns you most about growing older and why?
The key themes are:
Attitudes
- Only 6% of over 65s describe themselves as old. Yet the UK population believes old age starts at 59 – are we an ageist society?
Money
- 1.6m pensioners live below the poverty line. Yet one in three people don’t collect their pension credit. How can we put this right?
Relationships
- What can we do to combat the rising tide of loneliness?
Work and learning
- Is it realistic for everyone to retire at 65 (or 67)?
Health and care
- The number of people with a long-term illness could rise by 44% in 25 years. So how will we cope?
Lifestyle
- Are we buying too many products and services online? Is this isolating older people and undermining our community-based shops and services?
Where we live
- Can we afford free public transport for older people? Can we afford not to have free public transport?
What we need from you are your views.
Tell us what you think about these (and other) issues to respond online.
Alternatively send your answers to our two questions to our Freepost address at:
RLTT-ACRZ-LZZT
Vision 2030
Independent Age
6 Avonmore Road
London
W14 8RL
We will take your views to the Ready For Ageing Alliance, a group of seven national charities who will use them to create a manifesto to campaign for change.
Whatever your thoughts are, we need them to help us shape our challenge to all political parties.
We will share our findings with everyone who takes part.
So please. Act now. Help us make the UK the best country in the world to grow older in.
