Global ageing mattersThe international work of Age UK

June 2011

An Ageing Society

• The ageing of humanity across the world is a defining stage in history. It will change everything from business and finance to society and culture” Age Quake Wallace

• Life expectancy is extending worldwide, fertility rates are falling, and demographic ageing is accelerating

• Despite the weight of scientific evidence, the significance of population aging and it’s global implications have yet to be fully appreciated” U.S. Department of State March 2007

Ageing & Gender

Where we work

• 5 Regional Development Centres

• 11 Country Offices • Implement programmes

in over 50 countries• 86 Affiliated organisations

and over 200 partners

Global network; currently over 50 countries with 86 Affiliates

• 76% are OP focussed• 24% focus on older

people in their overall work

• Each have direct work with older people

• Each can show good practice with older people

Only older people focused

76%

Not only focused on older people

24%

Areas of International Work

• Work• Social protection• Emergencies• Rights• Health • HIV and AIDS • Sponsor a Grandparent

People need to work

Work & Sustainable Livelihoods

• Secure, decent, properly paid and productive

• Safe conditions • Universal social security• Special support in

challenging environments

Actions

• 2,100 Older People’s Associations are involved in income generating work reaching more than 60,000 older people: provision of inputs such as livestock or materials, as well as literacy and numeracy training, marketing and financial management.

• 53,000 older people are working to reduce their vulnerability to shocks related to seasonal poverty and climate change: older farmers are being supported in crop diversification, livestock, land retention and land use.

• 30,000 older people are being supported to access new financial services such as micro-credit and loans: inappropriate lending criteria and age discrimination of lenders is being challenged.

Social Protection

• Social justice, rights• Economic development• Social stability• Poverty alleviation• Peace and prosperity• Citizen state

accountability

Actions • Promotion of social pension schemes • Expansion of existing benefit and pensions schemes to

build universal coverage • National institution building including building capacities

of officials and citizens • Generating evidence of impact and implementation • Support older people to monitor delivery of entitlements• Deliver and advocate for essential social assistance and

services• In 2010 HelpAge Belize successfully lobbied for a non-

contributory pension. • HelpAge Kenya worked closely with Minster of Finance

to increase money received through cash transfers

Emergency response & Disaster Risk Reduction

• Age Awareness; numbers, trends, gender, location

• Adapted age inclusive relief and resettlement

• Improved data and age inclusive cluster work

• Age friendly guidelines and training

• Age specific services• Consultation

ACTIONS

• Responding directly in crises and strengthening preparedness

• Documentation – what is happening? • Influencing and changing humanitarian policy and

practice• Supporting Older Persons Associations (OPAs) to

contribute • Developing older people practices • Encouraging older Persons solidarity, income generation

and voice• In 2010 HelpAge USA and AARP raised $1.5 million for

Haiti

Rights

• Recognition and action on rights in older age

• Action to stop abuse and discrimination

• Explore new mechanisms – a convention?

• Educating older people on their rights

Actions

• National ageing policy development• Delivering programmes – Socio legal Centres, Older

Citizen Monitoring • Documentation of abuses • Working within the UN rights system – Human rights

Council, CEDAW• Build commitment to a new convention• RECEWAPEC met with Prime Minister to follow up the

call for the National Policy on Ageing including; support for income generating activities, decent shelter and fight against discrimination

Health

• Affordable and appropriate health services

• Support for social and informal care

• Health system reforms to focus on NCDs

• Improve access to services for older people

Actions• Improve older people’s access to government health

care• Documentation and guidelines for replication • Monitor and improve the age friendliness of government

health services• Increase and improve the delivery of homecare services• Improve older people’s access to eye care and restore

sight• Advocate for focus on Non Communicable Diseases

including mental health issues• Strategic partnerships including Alzheimer's International

and WHO• RIC provides health treatment and diagnosis support to

Older Women in 5 unions of 3 districts under the “Coordinated Support for the older Women in Bangladesh Project”

HIV and AIDS

• Securing universal access to prevention care and treatment

• Supporting intergenerational interdependence

• Understanding caring roles; access to support

• Action on risk of infection• Filling in data gaps

ACTIONS

• Replicable services to older people and those in their care; focus on gender

• Supporting national responses in Africa and Asia; policy, budgets, data analysis and advocacy

• Continuing advocacy with, and support to, regional bodies in Africa and Asia as well as international bodies

• Increasing the visibility of older people in the work, reports and statistics of others; partnerships ie UNICEF and UNAIDS

• Supporting older people to support each other: Empathy clubs; home care

• Intergenerational approaches to care• SCAZ attended the UN high level meeting to highlight

the key role of older persons as carers

Sponsor a Grandparent (SaG)

• Started in 1973• Provides support in 31

countries through 251 partners

• 49,500 older people receiving support (65% women)

• 175,00 SaG services being accessed by older persons across 5 regions

• Programme areas include; health, livelihoods, HIV and AIDS, discrimination & abuse, psycho social support and social protection

• Services help to provide food security, clean water, cash transfers, medical care, training…

Older people are not just victims…

• Older people make critical contributions to the welfare of their families and thus to the development of their communities and societies

• In the context of the HIV/AIDS, older women frequently act as the sole carers of their children dying of the disease and their grandchildren left orphaned

Age Demands Action