Chaning the Narrative on ageing

 Hi 

Wise Owler is back up and blogging,  on behalf of myself  not as a formal representative of Wise Age but will include time to time  promotion of wise age activities when they take place .

Yesterday as a member of the London Age Friendly forum I was able to listen to and talk with Paul McGarry, Head of Greater Manchester Ageing Hub,.

    During his excellent conversation he raised the issue that we in the age movement need to Change the Conversation' around age.

  This reminded me of the importance of the 'Silver Economy' in relation to economic growth and inclusivity. There seems to be a  gap in the minds of National, Regional and local government of the key  role that older people play both in terms of  economic and social production and consumption.

Over 70% of over 50s up to state retirement age  are in employment, often in key roles in management, in health and social care, finance, Universities, education, housing and other public services as well as in large corporations, SMEs and the voluntary sector. Even after state retirement age there are over 1.2 million pensioners in the UK still working or in self employment.

We are crucial in the implementation of growth strategies yet hardly feature in senior strategic and policy decision making. Besides our role as workers older people, especially older women play a major role in caring for those in need of care, children, grandchildren and our parents, as well as the wider community. Meanwhile the voluntary and community sector would fall apart if it were not for older ( often pensioner) people   did not give their time, expertise and commitment to being volunteers.

In addition the silver economy is made up of the tens of millions of we 50+  many of whom have more disposable income than younger people and act as a dynamic force for consumer driven growth. There are whole sectors and environments now dependent on older consumers, viz tourism, health and leasure  and even including IT - as we are the ones buying the new technology both for ourselves and our families.

Woe betide any employer who  ignores this consumer group or who does not understand the benefits of having and age diverse workforce.

Yet still the focus on government at all levels is predominantly on youth- who while also suffering from ageism have less to offer than older people as workers and consumers. The argument around older people is nearly always around the Supply side, of how to get more people back into work while ignoring the clear and real problem of  the Demand side- the institutional ageism of employers and recruitment agencies which is cited by over half of older people seeking employment as the biggest barrier.

The other  mistake made by Ministers, including the departments of Work and Pensions, Health, Education and Skills, plus the Mayors of London, boroughs and other cities is to see older people only as a burden, in terms of health and social care, when in fact the vast majority of older people are active both as cosumers and producers plus the skills they offer, of experience, wisdom, social skills and commitment  are often ignored despite the urgent need to fill skilled labour market gaps.

So my message to decision makers, government, and employers is simple. There is an enormous untapped labour and consumer market which is embraced and supported - along with younger people- could bring the growth and redistribution of income and wealth so urgently needed

Will it be a happy year?

 A very belated Happy New Year or should it be hope we see out 2025 in one piece. 

As a baby boomer I have spent a lot of my life believing that progressive changes was both happening and possible.

Now I am left hoping that things can just stay as they are and not get worse, but realising that means fighting hard against the tide of reaction, lies and even neo fascism. After hoping that we would wake up to a better more equal fair world we are facing a return to feudalism and rabid nationalism with our new overlords being the billionaires now not just scooping up the worlds wealth and resources but increasing control over the media and now government.

But maybe because I am an optimist I see that there is incrwasing resistance to this and a blossoming of humanity, humanism, scientific and medical progress and an understanding that there is a majority of people who are still basically cooperative and caring.

So in this spirit of hope I want to try to facilitate older people engaging with each other and younger generations  to learn lessons from our past to help us overcomethese rising tides of reaction which our own parents succeeded in overcoming 

 Welcome to 2025, or rather good luck, as it seems like a year with may problems ahead.

This is my personal blog and does not represent wise age but it does reflect my knowledge, experience and commitment towards informing  people about the problems faced and the benefits offered by older people ( 50+) and tries to represent older people's interests in matters and debates around age and ageism.

Firstly a big up for the contribution we older people make to the economy and society, which is often overlooked in the media and Parliament where the costs and problems of an ageing society are discussed.

Up to State Retirment Age there are over 70% of over 50s in employment or self employment, offering our wisdom and experience to business and staff alike. There would be more ( 10% more under 50s are in employment) if it were not for the ageism from employers and especially recruitment agencies , feeding on myths and prejudices widely spread by the media.

After SRA there are still over 1.2 million people in work, though many are part time. The reasons for this are both because many people want to and enjoy their work but more because they are forced to through economic necessity.

On top of this fgure over 50% of all carers ( mostly but not exclusively women) are over 50, many either on  very limited carers allowance or totally unpaid. They care for their children, dsabled members of their fmilies, grandchildren and also their own parents or partners.

Finally those who are retired make up the bulk of volunteers and without them the majority of voluntary agencies and charities would fold.

More positive news about older working people and the problems we face later