Assembly Seeks Champion for Older People

By David Williamson, Western Mail

United Kingdom

July 23, 2007

The challenge of a lifetime and an £87,000 annual pay cheque awaits the first Commissioner for Older People in Wales .

The Assembly Government is hunting for an individual who will champion the interests of this growing section of the population.

With a salary almost nine times that of a pensioner’s £202 a week, the successful candidate will be under immediate pressure to prove they’re worth it.

Experts yesterday welcomed the post’s creation, but urged whoever wins it to celebrate the contribution older people can make and not to treat them as a problem.

Michelle Matheron, policy officer for Age Concern Cymru, believed the £87,000 salary was needed to attract a candidate with the authority to confront politicians. 

She said, “I do think it needs somebody experienced and confident enough to stand up in front of the Assembly Government and say, ‘We’re not doing this right and we need to change it’.”

Welsh politicians have become increasingly aware of “grey power” – older people’s voting power.

More than a fifth (22.7%) of people in Wales are aged over 60 – the highest proportion in the UK .

Ms Matheron thought the appointment of a commissioner was more than a political gesture. She said, “It’s not just politicians doing something that might look good for older people. I do think it’s important, in terms of responding to the ageing population, there’s somebody who seizes the opportunity to get things right in Wales .”

Professor Judith Phillips, director of the new Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Ageing at Swansea University , said, “It’s clearly an example of Wales leading the way. It’s a very, very good start – something that’s quite long overdue. It’s about time there’s somebody to promote the value of older people in society.

“A lot of people see it as a challenge, but really it’s a great opportunity. We have a huge resource of people out there who act as volunteers and who still could easily be in the labour force.

“This commissioner could play a huge role in highlighting the potential that’s there.

“The fact we’re living longer is a huge achievement, yet very often it’s seen as the ‘demographic time bomb’ – it’s not, it’s a great opportunity; it’s something to be celebrated.”

Wales will undergo a transformation in the coming decades as the population ages. There are 692,641 people aged 60 or over in Wales , up from 651,098 a decade ago. In 2017, it is projected the number will spiral to 849,000, and reach 953,000 by 2026.

Back in 1961 only 17.6% of people fell into this age group. Then only 1.8% were aged 80 or more – compared to 4.5% now.

Acclaimed scriptwriter, scientific theorist and Western Mail columnist Elaine Morgan, who describes herself as “pushing 87”, hopes the commissioner would initiate a public debate about euthanasia and promote the use of living wills.

“The problem I wish he could deal with is dignity and dying.”

Ms Morgan also suggested he or she could pilot a scheme to encourage older citizens to share homes in the same way that young people look for flatmates.

“In parts of Wales you get rows and rows of terraced houses with only one person in each one.

“If they paired up they would not be coming into an empty house. They’d have somebody to talk to and they’d have money in their pockets because they’d spend less on heat and lighting.”

Age Concern Cymru research suggests that from December 2005 to March 2006, approximately one older person died every two hours in Wales as a result of preventable cold-related illnesses.

The charity argues the winter death rate in the UK remains significantly higher than in much colder countries such as Sweden , Finland and Germany .

The contribution older people make to Welsh life is slowly being recognised.

Those who look after grandchildren provide childcare estimated to be worth £259m a year.

The value of activities by volunteers over 50 each year in Wales is calculated at £459m.

Conwy (26%) has the highest percentage of people of pensionable age. Cardiff has the lowest (16%).

The average gross weekly income for pensioner couples is just £396, and £202 for single ones, according to 2004-05 figures.

One major challenge the commissioner may tackle is encouraging healthier lifestyles among this slice of the population.

Approximately 70% of men and 63% of women aged 55-64 are overweight or obese.

More than a fifth (22%) of men aged 65-plus drink more than the daily guideline amounts of alcohol at least once a week.

Some 22% of people aged 50 or over are smokers.

A further priority may be getting increasing numbers of older people online.

While 79% of Welsh 18 to 24-year-olds have internet access this is true for only 15% of those aged 65 and over.

Copyright © Global Action on Aging
Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us