LEGAL TEAMS SCRAMBLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS HIGH COURT RULES COUNCIL CARE FEE FREEZES ARE UNLAWFUL.

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

@SagaRosAltmann

QUOTES.

November 9, 2011.

LEGAL TEAMS SCRAMBLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS HIGH COURT RULES COUNCIL CARE FEE FREEZES ARE UNLAWFUL.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, commenting on the ruling today, November 9, 2011, in the High Court that Sefton Council’s decision to freeze fees for people needing care in the borough is unlawful:

“I expect many local authorities have been taken aback by this ruling, and quite a few legal and financial teams scrambled to assess what could be a massive impact upon the way councils fund care for older people, and how this ruling could reach far and wide.

“Once again the old and vulnerable are in the news as being on the receiving end of care and support shortfalls - but on this occasion their representatives have bitten back and bitten hard.

“Rather than rising to the challenge of funding the extra care needs of our ageing population, local authorities are continually cutting the care needs they will cover, leaving frail older people to fend for themselves - even freezing funding in the face of significant cost rises. This is an outrage and has rightly been declared illegal.

“In its ruling today that it is unlawful for local authorities to freeze care funding in this way purely to cut its own costs and without regard to the actual cost of providing care, the High Court has certainly put the cat among the pigeons. The flawed funding system of social care in England is being brutally exposed and the impact of local authority cuts and lack of long term funding is leaving increasing numbers of vulnerable older people without adequate care.

“The problem is one that has been highlighted so many times recently and stems from the fundamental fact that social care is the poor relation in our health system - and is not integrated with the NHS. Social care is largely run and funded by local authorities, whose budgets are being squeezed as never before, even while demand for care is rising inexorably year on year.

“But that leaves us with the underlying problem that local authorities do not have enough money to pay for proper care and, while resources are all focussed on the NHS, care is being neglected - and thus those needing care are also neglected.

“When will we wake up to the challenges and threats of such severe care underfunding?

“We need a radical overhaul of the whole system and the Dilnot review sets out a credible framework for action. This must include ringfencing public funding, better integration between NHS and social care, investment in prevention and early intervention, as well as an end to across-the-board care cutbacks by local authorities.

“Inadequate social care can be just as life-threatening as withholding medical care, especially for our increasing numbers of older people, yet somehow public money places all the emphasis on just one part of the picture.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

www.saga.co.uk

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE: COMMENT FROM ROS ALTMANN, SAGA.

ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR GENERAL


SAGA


PRESS RELEASE


October 27, 2010.

DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE: COMMENT FROM ROS ALTMANN, SAGA.

Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga, the lifestyle organisation for over-50s, says the newly Dementia Action Alliance - charities, royal colleges, public and private companies pledging to transform the quality of life for people living with dementia – is a massive boost to the dementia consequence awareness cause.


Dr Altmann says that dementia issues are finally taking up their place on the social care agenda, and the momentum a potentially big-hitting alliance can provide is key.


“Dementia care, and, more importantly, dementia consequence awareness, is finally establishing traction. It may already seem to be a cause making progress, but for far too long it has been a cause hobbled by ignorance. Now is not the time to sit back and consider the job to have been well done, the fact is that we are a long, long way off establishing a full appreciation of just how debilitating the condition is, not just to people with dementia but for their carers, and, as life expectancy increases, the UK’s economy,” said Ros Altmann.


“Any initiative that has the potential to drive dementia consequence awareness, and hence force the government’s hand on dementia care, is a massively welcome addition to the movement to gain social justice for all those affected.

“The Dementia Action Alliance has the full support of Saga, and we will bring to bear whatever influence and support we can muster. It is a tremendous initiative.”


Ends


Further information:


Iain Macauley


im@pressrelations.co.uk


07788 978800


www.saga.co.uk

SAGA GENERATION STUDY: OVER 50S: TONED, TANNED AND TINTED.

EMMA SOAMES

SAGA MAGAZINE

PRESS RELEASE

September 16, 2010.

OVER 50S:  TONED, TANNED AND TINTED.

• · Saga Generation making most of cosmetic treatments to maintain their looks
• Plastic surgery doubles in popularity
• Fake tans and teeth whitening becoming more prevalent
• Over half feel the same or better about their appearance than 10 years ago 

Men and women over 50 are taking full advantage of cosmetic treatments to keep them looking young and beautiful according to a new study by Saga.

The survey of more than 10,000 people looked at changing attitudes towards personal appearance over a generation and revealed that spending on treatments such as hair tinting, fake tanning, teeth whitening, cosmetic surgery and other beauty treatments is soaring as they grab with both hands the opportunity of ‘staying sexy’.

The report discovered that people over fifty are more appearance conscious than ever, with two thirds (62%) believing they are   more likely to be judged on their appearance than previous generations.  One woman in seven (15%) said they wore padded bras.  Five times more women today would use such breast enhancers than their mothers at the same age. Cosmetic surgery has almost doubled in a generation, although fewer than one in fifty women have taken this route.  Almost two thirds of women colour their hair to disguise the grey (compared to 4% of men).  This compares to one third of women a generation ago (2% of men).

In addition to this, compared with a generation ago, today’s over 50s are:

·         Twelve times more likely to exercise to ‘tone up’

·         Ten times more likely to use ‘fake tan’ tanning lotion or sun beds than they were a generation ago

·         Seven times more likely to have had their teeth whitened

·         Fourteen times more likely to use anti-wrinkle cream (men) with 10% now using  age defying serum

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, Saga Magazine said: “Today’s over 50s are a generation that has successfully re-defined attitudes to age and ageing finding itself confronting the ‘politics of beauty’ at ever-later ages in life.  Perhaps ‘age positive’ images of the likes of Helen Mirren simply create a new ‘beauty myth’ for older people (especially older women) to have to contend with.  However they are clearly taking matters into their own hands and using every method possible to remain as young looking as possible.” she said.

The survey reveals a generation who are more fashion conscious than their parents at the same age  – completely updating their personal look regularly. Women over fifty update their appearance every four and a half years.  However, men are much less concerned about ‘keeping up with the times’, updating their appearance only every 19 years.

Men and women in the North East are the most fashion conscious, typically updating their style and personal appearance every six years on average.  But it is over-fifties in Northern Ireland who are most self-confident about their style, with almost three quarters (71%) saying they are happy with their ‘look’, and with the average length of time between ‘style make-overs’ being eight years.

How do over 50s feel about themselves?

Today’s over 50s are comfortable in their own skin.  Over half (54%) say they feel the same or better about their appearance than they did 10 years ago.  The study also shows that satisfaction with appearance becomes significantly less important to overall happiness for people as they move through their sixties and seventies.

The increased opportunity for people to fight the signs of aging has fuelled a spectacular rise in over-fifties’ spending on their appearance in the last 10 years:

§         Share of total cosmetics spending rises from £1.9bn to £2.1bn

§         Spending on beauty treatments and hairdressing rises from £2bn to £2.2bn

§         Spending on clothing and shoes also rose sharply (35%) from £4.7bn to £12.2bn

Emma Soames added: “Today’s over-fifties are embracing the opportunities available to them to keep looking as young as they feel.  It is however also heartening that as we move into our sixties and seventies, our looks become ever less important to the quality of our personal relationships and our overall happiness.”

-       Ends –

Ends

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. Emma is also an occasional columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

Notes to editors:

Regional table - regions who are happy with their ‘look’, and average frequency of ‘updating’ appearance, by region

	London	South East	South West	West Midlands	East Midlands	North West	North East	Yorkshire & Humber	East Anglia	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Average number of years between makeovers	7.3	6.6	7.2	5.8	7.6	6.5	6.1	7.8	8.2	8.5	6.9	8.2
% who are happy with their 'look' (appearance when fully clothed)	61%	63%	63%	63%	62%	66%	65%	67%	65%	65%	61%	71%

Methodology

Data was collected using Saga’s Populus panel, which delivered a total sample of 10,803 people aged 50+. Using quotas established by the Government Actuaries’ Department and the National Readership Survey, a nationally representative sample of over-50s was derived from the Populus panel, with an effective sample size of 3,483 (having taken design effects into account). This sample is nationally representative of UK over-50s by age, gender, social grade, and (broadly) by mobility (reported ease of walking one mile or more, and climbing stairs). Mobility measures were repeated and checked against evidence from the same questions asked in the BHPS (2007/8) – this revealed that the (weighted) Populus panel sample is not significantly different from the UK population in terms of mobility, allowing a derivation of a robust indication of the health activities and attitudes prevalent in the UK 50+ population. Unless otherwise sourced, all data presented in this report is based upon this derived nationally representative sample.

Alongside the main source of original survey data, analysis of the Family Expenditure Survey and the British Household Panel Study was used to provide broader perspective and an insight into trends in health and over the past generation.

FEWER THAN ONE-IN-FIVE OVER-50S SWAYED BY ELECTION CAMPAIGN MILLIONS.

EMMA SOAMES

SAGA MAGAZINE

PRESS RELEASE

July 22, 2010.

FEWER THAN ONE-IN-FIVE OVER-50S SWAYED BY ELECTION CAMPAIGN MILLIONS.

Millions of pounds worth of General Election campaign cash was wasted on the over-50s with just 17% of older voters switching support despite the massive efforts of politicians.

Independent research commissioned by Saga - the travel, lifestyle and financial services organisation – indicates that not only was there little vote switching, but the older generation turned out at the polls in much greater numbers than expected, and had decided which way to vote long before the campaigns hit full steam.

Saga Populus Panel research before the General Election indicated that 80% of the Saga Generation were likely to vote at the General Election, but 94% said that they voted. The overall national turnout was just 65.1%.

“The political classes need to be aware that the over-50s form the majority of those who vote and their opinions must count if they yearn for elected office.  They may vote quietly – but they mark with a very firm cross,” said Emma Soames, editor-at-large, Saga Magazine.

“All the political parties put a huge amount of effort into campaigning in the run up to the General Election, but most of the Saga Generation had made their mind up very early on – perhaps illustrating that a the actions of recent years speak louder than the words of campaigning. 

“The older they are, the less likely to be swayed by campaigning:  just 14% of those aged 75 or over changed their voting intention, compared with 23% of those aged 50-54.

“But with AV on the cards, politicians may want to note that the Conservatives had the most loyal supporters – with 90% of those who intended to vote Conservative at the start of the campaign actually voting Conservative on May 6.  The General Election campaign saw 6% of initial Tory pledges vote Liberal Democrats, 2% UKIP and 1% to Labour.

“Labour support, weak at the start of the campaign, got worse as only 77% of those who had said they would vote Labour ended the campaign putting their cross in Labour’s box.  They lost 17% to the Liberal Democrats, 4% to the Conservatives and 1% to UKIP.

“81% of Liberal Democrat pledges voted Liberal Democrat – though 10% were persuaded to go with Mr Cameron, 5% went with Labour, 2% to UKIP and 1% Green.

“But the Green Party was the only one to lose the majority of their voters’ pledges during the campaign.  Despite winning their first seat in Parliament, only 41% of those that indicated they were going to vote Green actually went into the voting booth and voted in that way.  In what was probably a tactical move 37% voted Lib Dem, whilst 9% went with Labour, 7% Conservative, 2% UKIP and 1% Plaid Cymru.”

The Saga Populus Panel is the largest panel surveying the views of Britons aged 50 and over.  The survey results are from 13,800 people aged 50 and over.

Ends

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames video interviews and other material here:

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. Emma is also an occasional columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

Research summary.

Whilst a third of people (36%) said they enjoyed the spectacle of a hung Parliament – perhaps because of the obvious discomfort of the politicians, nearly two thirds (63%) said that a hung Parliament made Parties less accountable for delivering what was in their manifestoes. 

Saga Populus Panel research before the General Election indicated that 80% of the Saga Generation were likely to vote at the General Election.  However, the campaign galvanised opinion and 94% said that they voted; this compares with the overall national turnout of just 65.1%.

The political classes need to be aware that the over 50s form the majority of those who vote and their opinions must count if they yearn for elected office.  They may speak quietly – but they carry a big stick.

All Political Parties put a lot of effort into campaigning in the run up to the General Election - but most people have made their mind up at the start of the campaign.  Despite the millions spent by political parties on the campaign only 17% of the over 50s say they voted for a Party other than the one they had initially wanted to vote for at the outset of the campaign.  Older voters are less prone to be influenced by the General Election campaign – just 14% of those aged 75 over changed their voting intention, compared with 23% of those aged 50-54.

With the potential of the AV voting system psephologists will be interested in where people’s second votes may go.  Whilst not directly relevant some useful insight might be drawn from research Saga did into the stickiness of the Parties vote.

The Conservatives had the most loyal supporters – with 90% of those who intended to vote Conservative at the start of the campaign voting Conservative on May XXX.  The General Election campaign saw 6% of initial Tory pledges vote Liberal Democrats, 2% UKIP and 1% to Labour.

Labour support, weak at the start of the campaign, got worse as only 77% of those who had said they would vote Labour ended the campaign putting their cross in Labour’s box.  They lost 17% to the Liberal Democrats, 4% to the Conservatives and 1% to UKIP.

81% of Liberal Democrat pledges voted Liberal Democrat – though 10% were persuaded to go with Mr Cameron, 5% went with Labour, 2% to UKIP and 1% Green.

The Green Party were the only Party that lost the majority of their pledges during the campaign.  Despite winning their first seat in Parliament only 41% of those that indicated they were going to vote Green actually went into the voting booth and voted in that way.  In what was probably a tactical move 37% voted Lib Dem, whilst 9% went with Labour, 7% Conservative, 2% UKIP and 1% Plaid Cymru.

UKIP held onto 65% of their prospective votes with 25% voting Tory; curiously 6% went to the Lib Dems and 3% Labour.

The BNP held onto to just 61% of their initial support – 15% went to UKIP, 7% each to the Lib Dem and Conservatives and 2% to Labour.

SNP support was solid with 87% of supporters remaining firm – they lost 7% to the Lib Dems and 3% each to Labour and the Conservatives.

Plaid Cymru – were less successful than their fellow separatists – they held onto just 67% of their initial support – 17% went to the Liberal Democrats, 9% to the Conservatives and 7% to Labour.

Ends

MOBILISE GRANNY’S ARMY TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

EMMA SOAMES

EDITOR-AT-LARGE, SAGA MAGAZINE

PRESS RELEASE

July 13, 2010.

MOBILISE GRANNY’S ARMY TO TACKLE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR.

A Granny’s Army could be the spearhead of a plan to drive anti-social behaviour off the streets.

An RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts) report has suggested that individuals and communities could be trained to tackle low-level yobbery, and Emma Soames, editor-at-large of Saga magazine, says there could be some merit in it.

“There are several key opportunities here: First, in my opinion, there’s a granny factor; it’s a rare teenager or group who would resist or ignore the admonishment or guidance of a granny figure remonstrating about dropped litter or feet on bus seats – so let’s get the Neighbourhood Watch brigade actively mobilised,” said Emma Soames, 60.

“Second, I think there’s a great opportunity to bring retired Police and armed forces personnel into play – they’re used to commanding respect and diffusing difficult situations, and would make good trainers and role models.

“However, training should be very carefully monitored – ‘busybody’ authority is something that provokes anti-social behaviour.

“The key is where the line is drawn in terms of what the public should and shouldn’t get involved with; this training is only appropriate for a scale of ‘Class D’ crime and anti-social behaviour - below violence, threat, property theft or damage – covering litter-dropping, offensive language, playing music too loud and so on.

“Of course, the big issue is changing the attitude of the perpetrator. People get outraged by anti-social behaviour, but it’s the perpetrators of anti-social behaviour who should be tackled, and parenting lies at the root of it.

“Changing the behaviour of people who seem genetically tuned for acts of anti-social behaviour is a complex issue.

“This has to be all about the power of parents, who, in concert, work as one to deter, prevent and correct children who step out of line. But backing up parental authority with vigilance and low key intervention in the local community can only be a good thing.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames video interviews and other material here:

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. Emma is also an occasional columnist for The Daily Telegraph.

CAMERON’S FIRST 50 DAYS: 1.5 OUT OF NUMBER TEN ON OVER-50S ISSUES.

EMMA SOAMES, SAGA.
PRESS RELEASE.

June 29, 2010.

CAMERON’S FIRST 50 DAYS: 1.5 OUT OF NUMBER TEN ON OVER-50S ISSUES.

Fifty days in for the new government, and the UK’s over-50s are seeing little sign that their 44% share of the vote is yielding 44% of the Cameron administration’s attention.

Emma Soames, editor-at-large of Saga magazine, says that while government is moving fast in some areas, it’s not moving anything like as quickly as it should to address the issues facing people who, in some cases, are quite literally running out of time.

“Forty four per cent of the voting age population is aged over 50; 94% of those 21 million over-50s claimed to have voted, according to independent research we commissioned, but have we had 44% of the government’s attention and interest so far? Far from it – we estimate it’s more like 15% of the coalition’s time and attention,” said Emma Soames.

“The pre-election Saga Manifesto, representing the views of the country’s over-50s with 14,000 survey participants, identified six key areas older people wanted addressing.

“The government’s attention to fairer finance – how older people will deal with both day-to-day expenses and retirement finance - I’d rate as two out of ten, to abolishing ageism one out of ten, age balance in Parliament zero out of ten, support for carers three out of ten, intelligent retirement one out of ten and safer streets two out of ten – an average of 1.5 out of ten for issues important to the over-50s.

“Yes, there are big issues to tackle with regard to the economy and our armed forces abroad, but in other areas they’re tackling issues in the wrong order.

“Benefits issues, big initiatives and ideas relating availability for work are all well and good, but the people involved are not in danger of dropping dead before they’re sorted out as would be the case for the very old and infirm.

“Older people in their end of life phase, especially those providing or receiving care, are on a defined time line: they’re old, they’re sick, they’re going to die – they’re running out of time.

“The closest we’ve seen to decisive action is the introduction of an eight-PCT personal health budget pilot; everything else is up for review or subject to a commission: care funding, crime, pensions.”

Ends

Further information:
Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review. 

Emma Soames, Saga Magazine: retirement age is unnecessary.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gqzYAu-19vpX79rrp0MK8oV5p2ig