Better Lives for Older People: Asking for Ideas

Speaking as a lifetime specialist in care for older people, we have, in the words of the familiar Chinese proverb, been cursed to live in interesting times.

Society finds itself in a position where changing demographics mean that the numbers of older people with dementia are rising fast - and set to double in the next 25 years. Unsurprisingly there is a related (and belated) attempt by the state to find funding for this – the recent Green Paper was a brave attempt to set out rational funding options, which politicians have unfortunately chosen to treat as a political football in the run up to the forthcoming elections. All this takes place at a time when the Law Commission has decided to reform legislation for older people, when we are moving towards a personalisation of social care generally – and where an almighty, apocalyptic recession has been thrown into the pot for luck.

Phew!

Politics (and panic) aside, what actually makes for better lives for older people?

It's a question it makes considerable sense to ask if we are going to embark on real change. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is doing precisely that - looking at finding better lives for older people with high support needs in the community - see the Better Life page. It's part of a much broader and wholly admirable project for improving lives, involving people who need services, practitioners like me, policy makers, service providers… in fact, anyone and everyone with good ideas to offer. So does this include you?

I wrote on a recent Guardian Society blog that: 'I was particularly pleased to be asked to contribute ideas to the debate about improving older people's lives in this context because the JRF agenda is refreshingly open: amongst a very wide number of areas for discussion they are looking for really innovative ideas that simply improve older people's lives – in this context, the wilder and more imaginative the ideas the better.'

I asked Guardian readers for contributions and, through my specific project work, I also asked a selection of older people, carers and professionals for their views. I got some very interesting and useful replies.

Here's your chance to contribute to the discussion. We are appealing to you for bright ideas and actual examples from anywhere in the world – with the potential for real and practical change, which we’re determined to achieve. Bear in mind that we're talking about better lives as much or more than better care (important as that is) and that really new and off-the-wall-ideas are particularly welcome, though they've got to be relevant to people with high support needs (e.g. those who have conditions such as dementia, physical and/or sensory impairment or learning disability). We're particularly keen to get concrete examples of really good practice or settings that exist here and abroad – and your thoughts on your own experiences might help suggest ideas for change.

If you add your thoughts on the subject to this blog we promise we will take them forward for the JRF program, and keep you in the picture on what happens to them, too.

Christopher Manthorp is an older age professional and journalist currently working on the JRF program, 'A Better Life', looking at ideas for improving the lives of older people with high support needs in the community.