Public health news: Age friendly communities

Public Health Newsletter: June 2023

Age Friendly Communities

South Tyneside Council started their Age Friendly journey with the Centre for Ageing Better in March 2022.

''Age-friendly communities are places where people of all ages can live healthy and active lives. These communities make it possible for people to stay in their homes, participate in the activities that they value and contribute to their communities, for as long as possible.''

Our starting point was a baseline survey which ran between October 2022 and April 2023.

The results are being shared at four events across the borough, where residents, community organisations, and some Local Authority and Health leads are having the opportunity to validate the findings.

There were areas that scored well, including:

• It is easy to visit public buildings such as libraries and leisure centres.
• Green spaces are well looked after, this includes parks, gardens and cemeteries.
• Wanting to stay in my own home.
• Knowing where to get information to keep me healthy.
• Being able to attend local events and activities.

The areas that did not appear to do so well such as:

• Footpaths are not well maintained.
• Unhappy with the number of public toilets
• Not knowing if I will get the help I need to stay in my own home.
• Not knowing how to get help with care such as washing, dressing, shopping etc.
• Not knowing how to find out about entitlements and services.
• Not knowing how to find out about educational classes.
• Opportunities for older 65s to be employed.

The validation events allowed residents to discuss their own experiences in more detail.

The was a lot of discussion on:

• Wanting more and better maintained litter bins, toilets, benches, and shelters
• Not feeling safe to go out at night 
• More accessible footpaths, particularly for those with a disability
• Acknowledgement that the distance from home to bus stops can make public transport hard to use. Some bus drivers being more helpful than others (giving examples such as hydraulic steps / pre-recorded next stop / wait until seated before moving / other dogs interacting with guide dogs)
• Time to get home repairs completed and what adaptations are available
• The potential to get to know the area better through housing / landlords or estate agents
• More pride in the local community and activities that help to achieve this
• Better promotion of about what is available such as beach accessible buggies
• Less reliance on digital communication - posters and leaflets
• Better GP / dental access - wanting to talk to someone in person
• The types of shops I want to use - less charity / food and gambling
• More emphasis on thinking ahead (pre-frailty) and touch points to help people stay independent for longer
• Made to feel more welcome - 'people can talk down to me'

The next steps will be to work with partners, with residents at the heart of our discussions, to help develop a five-year plan and implement actions that address some of these current concerns.