Agenda item - Public Health and Older People

To hear from Becky Woodiwiss, Health Promotion Specialist, BHCC

205.1  Becky Woodiwiss a Public Health Specialist provided an update on the public health programme for older people. This was a vital area as there were predicted to be 51,000 people over 65 in the city by 2030. This was largely due to people living longer and better. The public health objectives were to 1. Improve the wider determinants of health and 2. Health improvement e.g. helping people to make healthy choices; Health Protection and Healthcare. She recommended the section on Ageing Well in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment http://www.bhconnected.org.uk/content/needs-assessments .  A Quality of Life tool is used to measure the impact in certain locally commissioned older people services success in services Another significant area of work is the Age Friendly City programme which has the involvement of the OPC and is currently working through the WHO checklist which covers areas such as Social Participation. Topic workshops are being held on issues such as alcohol, physical activities, food,  and sexual & relationships .The focus of the June workshop will be mental health and wellbeing, although the suicide rate in older people is decreasing.

205.2  Workstreams which focus on older people include: locality profiles of older people are being carried out in 3 areas;  looking at issues facing residents e.g. number of cold houses;  falls prevention work;  oral health and digital inclusion, flu vaccine uptake, winter warmth and involvement in care homes and home care forums. Another focus is increasing the participation of older people in the arts and culture in the city and encouraging people to become involved.

205.3  Becky Woodiwiss concluded her presentation by asking the OPC and older people present how they might support this public health programme? Concerns were raised about the Age Friendly Cities Forum and whether it was still going and the meeting heard that the Forum would start again when a new person had been appointed to work on the project. The importance of public toilets for older people was emphasised and whether any public health funds could be used to keep open any of the toilets which were due for closure.

205.4  It was suggested that a workshop could be held on the impact of drug intake and their effects in later life. Becky agreed to talk to the substance misuse team about this issue. Off the Fence and the BHT rehabilitation service were also mentioned as organisations involved in this issue. She also agreed that eye care and hearing were also issues for older people which should be noted.