This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Older people's booklet now available
16/12/2002
A booklet aimed at Scotland's 1.7 million over 50s will
be available in post offices from today.
The booklet includes a range of information, from
where to find your nearest Internet access point, to taking
up volunteering or lifelong learning opportunities. It aims
to highlight the breadth of support and opportunities
available to Scotland's older people.
Speaking at the Scottish Centre for the Promotion of
the Older Person's Agenda, which works to improve to the
quality of life for older people, Deputy Health Minister
Frank McAveety said:
"The new Scotland we want to build is a country for
all ages. Where people, regardless of their age are valued
as individuals in their own right and encouraged to make a
continuing contribution to their local community and wider
society. We want to ensure there are practical measures in
place to enable all Scots - including our 1.7m over 50s -
to live as full and active life as possible.
"I am pleased to draw your attention to the booklet
which is available from post offices today as an important
part of that process. As well as providing invaluable
advice on a range of help and support services, it will
also help challenge some of our preconceptions about what
people can and can't do as they become older.
"While it is essential that people who need care get
it, we need to remember that the vast majority of older
people remain active, and want to continue being involved
in their communities, contributing, and getting the most
out of life.
"Many older people are the backbone of families and
local areas, giving their experience and knowledge and time
in many ways - as carers, volunteers, community activists,
parents and grandparents. Many also have an excellent
record in business start-ups, often outdoing their younger
competitors. Those achievements should be celebrated and we
must offer encouragement and support to older people who
wish to take up such opportunities.
"I hope that the booklet gives a flavour of some of
these opportunities and helps demonstrate that older people
are very capable of doing things for themselves - they
have, after all, had a lifetime's practice. And Scottish
Executive policies - such as free off peak local bus
travel, our central heating programme, our digital
inclusion strategy and free personal care - are intended to
support them in continuing to make the most of life."
For a copy of the booklet freephone 0800 783 4183. The
booklet will also be available from post offices and
libraries and in large print, Braille, audio tape, Gaelic,
Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gudjhurati, Arabic and Cantonese.
The publication of the booklet has been welcomed by
the Scottish Pensioners' Forum and the Scottish Pensions
Association.
The Scottish Centre for the Promotion of the Older
Person's Agenda is located at Queen Margaret University
College in Edinburgh. It has this year been running a
course called Education for Participation: The Voices of
Older People. The aim of this course has been to work with
older people to enable them to feel more confident about
participating in and influencing the development of
services.