Advocating Change for Older People
We’re the only UK based national organisation supporting independent advocacy services for older people.
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Our A Level Design and Technology student was thrilled with all the helpful comments you made! She says thank you very much!
AND she has promised to share with us what she makes in the end- so that is very exciting! Watch this space everyone! 😃
www.opaal.org.uk
Photo by Howie R on Unsplash
Just look at those faces!😃😍First night in a comfy bed with mom + dad after being rescued ♥️
"I stole their hearts...& their bed 😘 (I made myself all nice and comfy there...I'm not sure why mom is laughing at me, she's weird)."
We really want to share with you the positive impact a volunteer advocate can have on the life of someone who just needs someone to listen, care and help.
Here is the wonderful Maureen, who was involved in a really tough battle with cancer. Maureen had two volunteer advocates to help her during her difficult time - but she helped them in return by being so inspiring! Here is what Maureen had to say about her involvement with advocates.
"Although I don’t need someone to speak on my behalf they were there to hold my hand. My current volunteer advocate Annie reassured me and gave me information on where to get
help and what to do when I had a worrying symptom recently.
Since I moved house I have less close girlfriends to share things with and I don’t want to worry my son, he’s family. It has been good to have someone with me. I feel I’m not frightened to tell my advocates anything and everything. They are there for me to talk to about positives and negatives. I know Annie is a very strong lady who also cares and I know that she’s not going to get emotionally involved."
Advocates can be there to help in so many ways, even for people who are confident and able to speak up like Maureen. Whatever your battle is, there is an option not to face it alone. Click on the link to find an advocacy service near you.
opaal.org.uk/locations/
Here at Together, we champion older people having all the choices available to them about how they want to live their lives. But of you have had a few "uh-oh" 😕moments with an older person in your life - you are not alone.
Maybe your person is becoming forgetful or asking the same questions repeatedly. Or maybe you’re seeing that driving, keeping up the house, managing stairs, or paying bills is now becoming an issue.
And for many, it comes with an added challenge: Most aging parents don’t welcome much help from their adult children. They may see it as interference, or an invasion of privacy.
Throw into the the mix that some parents can refuse to accept that they’re having difficulties, even though its obvious to you!
Usually, by the time you’re noticing changes and have concerns, it’s possible that you are correct in your worries and that your parent does need help of some kind. So how should you best get involved? Especially if your attempts to do so have gone poorly in the past?
What may help is for your older person to have access to an independent advocate, someone who has no agenda other than to listen to them and help them make the arrangements to ensure that they are safe, cared for and enjoying their life.
Independent advocates are usually volunteers, so there is no cost involved. And they are just there to help the older person to communicate and action their needs and wants. Which is what we would all like to experience in older age!😃
Learn more about independent advocacy here: opaal.org.uk/
Happy birthday to someone who spread so much joy!Dame Patricia Routledge is 92 today, Happy Birthday Patricia 🎁🎂