Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Director of Public Health outlining the refresh of the draft Age Friendly Strategy & Action Plan 2022-2025.

The report of the Director of Public Health presented the Outer North East Community Committee with the refresh of the draft Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2025 to gain feedback. The report also requested support and promotion of the work of Age Friendly within the city.

The Deputy Director for Public Health, The Chief Executive for Leeds Older Peoples Forum (LOPF) and Deputy Executive Member for Adults and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships were in attendance to introduce the report.

The Community Committee were provided with the following points:

• Around 1 in 3 people are aged 50 and over. The number of Leeds residents aged 80 and over will increase by about 50% in the next 20 years.
• Age Friendly Leeds is one of the eight priorities in the Best Council Plan 2020-2025. The vision for Leeds is that it is a place where people age well, older people are valued, respected, appreciated and seen as assets.
• The draft Age Friendly Leeds Strategy 2022-25 has been reviewed and refreshed which has been informed by The State of Ageing in Leeds report. The process has been overseen by the Age Friendly Board chaired by Cllr Jenkins. The role of the Board is to provide strategic leadership and set the strategic direction for the Age Friendly Leeds work programme and ensure that the objectives are being met.
• Leeds is a member of the World Health Organisation Age Friendly Cities programme and has used and adapted the framework to identify and address barriers to the well-being and participation of older people.
• The strategy sets out six key priority areas: housing; public and civic spaces; travel and road safety; active, included and respected; healthy and independent ageing and employment and learning. Each of the priorities is headed by a domain lead. Domain leads have been identified and are working to implement the actions set out in the plan. The domain leads will feedback on a quarterly basis.
• LOPF gives practical ways for the local community to become involved to strengthen the age friendly approach and Councillors were invited to support and encourage people and businesses to get involved in:
  • The Age Friendly Ambassador Programme
  • Becoming a Dementia Friend
  • Age and Dementia Friendly Businesses
  • The Come in and Rest Scheme
  • Leeds Older People’s Age Friendly Steering Group

·  Public Health are working with partners to support older people in Leeds to be as resilient as possible this winter. It was recognised that the cost-of-living crisis together with the impact that the cold weather can have on older people will require an approach to ensure proactive and preventative support is provided to those most at risk this winter

The Committee discussed the following:

·  Workers and volunteers within the third sector that provide care for the elderly tend to be older people and thus younger people should be encouraged to engage.

·  The report overstated the ongoing Covid risk which has the potential to cause more worry to the socially vulnerable. The risks related to all winter illnesses should be of equal importance and all relevant vaccines encouraged, although Members still noted that Covid is still prevalent.

·  Inadequate public transport and accessibility issues experienced in the Outer North East wards pose doubt to many of the objectives referenced in the report. Many elderly residents in the area report being unconnected with central Leeds and amenities that will improve their health and wellbeing.

·  A cohesive approach with the wider area will assist with the strategy as areas outside of Leeds City Council’s jurisdiction are relied upon by Outer North East residents for vital services.

·  Many of the third sector and community services that cater for the elderly have struggled to recover service provision after the pandemic. Resource allocation through multiple streams, including Community Committee funding can be utilised for service recovery.

·  The take up of pension credits entitlement was noted to be low, making it cost effective council resource spending to provide information to access these credits to benefit those in need.

·  A conflict in the approach of the strategy by application to citizens from age 50 was noted, the stigma of who is old has changed over time. A meaningful approach should target those in higher age brackets as a fairer use of resources. It may be appropriate to breakdown the objectives for different age groups.

·  In response to a question from Members it was confirmed a preventative focus, rather than treatment, was proposed by the strategy to enable better quality of aging and target wider heath determinants. The strategy was not about care provision, it is to link and supplement to health and care systems, although it was noted the NHS elderly focused strategies begin from age 65, whereas this strategy begins from 50.

·  Digital underpinning may be intimidating to those less literate with technology; digital training should be signposted. Skills and infrastructure should be accessible to all ages and banks, prescriptions and buses shouldn’t be exclusively digital.

·  The strategy should connect to vital health facilities and information for interim care after hospital was lacking in the report given the transport issues noted in the area, which may limit the ability for readmission to hospital.

·  The proposals to improve employment opportunities for elderly people may pose some issues as positive employment discrimination, that favours someone by age, may be unlawful.

RESOLVED –

a.  To note the content of the report and the refresh of the Age Friendly Strategy

2. To note the work that is currently underway to support age friendly, winter planning and the cost-of-living crisis in the local area and how to build on these further.
3. That the needs of the local ageing population and how these needs can be addressed through local age friendly work, be noted.
4. To note how the work of the Age Friendly Strategy and the community approaches lead by LOPF can be embedded within work of the community committee.