AGE-INCLUSIVE SERVICES: What do older people want, and how do we know? Dr Caroline Holland The Open University UK IFA 11 th Global Conference on Ageing - 28 May-1 June 2012 Prague

Age-inclusive services Age and ‘being older’ Services for older people Services for everyone than need to take older people into account Services by older people

The right to being heard The right to be heard - and the responsibility to listen Who is asking for this research, and why? Listening into action

Collaborative projects at The Open University, working with: ‘Soon-to-be older’ people: Jewish communities in the south of England Older people with high support needs – around England and Scotland Older people living with dementia – post- discharge from hospital in central England Older people engaging with new technologies – central England

Project: Extra Care housing and older Jewish residents in SE England 16 focus groups with 105 participants – to elicit a collective response from as big a group as possible within the scope of the funding Ages: middle age upwards, aiming for a mix Varying religious observance (except ultra-orthodox) Commissioned by a consortium of charities to help establish direction of future service provision Some key ‘wants’: continuity of self identity; communality and sociability; practicality/space; sustainability/affordability; religious comfort ;

Project: ‘A Better Life: what older people with high support needs value’ Interviews with 26 men and women with ‘high support needs’ with diverse conditions/living arrangements/demographic characteristics/locations Ages: 40 – 93 years (mainly older: some younger) ‘Not the usual suspects’ (hard to reach?) Commissioned by a campaigning charity with its own equality agenda to help build a campaign Some key ‘wants’: human relationships; a meaningful life; continuity of self; very specific small matters of preference; access to support including technologies and carers

Project: ‘What happens to people identified with dementia in general hospital?’ A two-stage investigation of people living with dementia + their proxy (carer): 112 cases (and a sub- group of 15 moving directly to Care Home) Mixed methods: multiple measures/economic analysis/qualitative interviews Ages: average late-80s Commissioned and supported by national activist charity to plug a gap in knowledge/improve provision Some key wants: relationships (continuity; security) (carers – information, support, resources)

Project: Older people and technological inclusion (Opt-in) Hands-on workshops and demonstrations with small groups of older learners from England, Scotland, Netherlands, Germany, Slovenia: UK group c.10 – able to take part in cultural exchanges – interviewed Ages ‘middle-aged’ to 80s Funded by EU Grundtvig Life-long learning programme: promoting economic and cultural cohesion Some key ‘wants’: utility; enjoyment; appropriate support to access; finance

Methods and intentions Extra Care – focus groups ‘collective opinion’ OPHSD – guided (open) interviews: ‘eliciting authentic voice’ PLWD – measures and interviews ‘eliciting direct experience’ Technology – workshops ‘eliciting perspectives’ (and prompting experimentation)

experience – perspectives – opinion – voice mediated by: purpose –questions –method- sampling - analysis – interpretation impact affected by: government/funder/PI influence - media - incorporation - action But we have: – multiple perspectives and voices – multiple purposes, methods and interpretations – uneven impact and action

From the multiple voices in the four projects: continuity of self identity; communality and sociability; practicality/space; sustainability/affordability; religious comfort human relationships; a meaningful life; continuity of self; very specific small matters of preference; access to support including technologies and carers relationships; continuity; security(carers – information, support, resources) utility; enjoyment; appropriate support to access; finance relationships – meaning – support

Working towards some principles? Equal – or fair?: inclusion for all – our collective voices inclusion for me – my voice consider ‘age’ Transparency of method Transparency of ‘listener’ Defending inclusion

Thank you