September has always had that “back to school” feeling about it. New notebooks, new timetables, sharpened pencils… and the realisation that perhaps we could all do with learning something new!
So, this month, we’re embracing the “back to school” spirit and bringing you a few resources that could help you refresh your knowledge, develop your skills and support the older people you work with.
Know your rights – a useful guide from the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales
For those in Wales, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has produced a valuable collection of information guides designed to help older people understand their rights and access the support they need.
The guides cover areas including healthcare, housing, employment, social care, hospital discharge, digital access, ageism and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
These resources can be particularly useful for advocates because they provide straightforward information that can help older people understand what they should expect and what they can do when things go wrong.
👉 Explore the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales information guides
☕ Time for a Cuppa – time for a conversation
Sometimes the most important conversations begin with something very simple – “Would you like a cuppa?”
OPAAL’s Time for a Cuppa campaign encourages older people to have conversations about something that many of us would rather avoid talking about: planning for a dignified death and what happens if you are the person left behind.
Planning ahead isn’t about being morbid. It’s about giving people greater choice, control and peace of mind.
What would you want to happen? Who would know what you wanted? Who could help if you were no longer able to make decisions? And, importantly, what happens to the person left behind when there is no plan?
Our resources are designed to help start those conversations – whether someone has family and friends around them or is facing later life with a much smaller support network.
The campaign looks at practical issues around preparing for death, including important documents, finances, digital accounts, Lasting Powers of Attorney, funeral wishes and the practical things that someone may have to deal with after a death.
A cup of tea can be a good place to start.
Why not use September as an opportunity to have that conversation with someone you support – or share OPAAL’s resources with your members, colleagues and partner organisations?
🕵️♀️ Back to school for scammers too?
Unfortunately, while we might be going back to school, scammers never seem to take a holiday!
Scams continue to evolve, and one of the challenges for anyone supporting older people is helping them recognise when something doesn’t look or feel quite right.
The Friends Against Scams website is a great resource for advocates, professionals, older people, families and communities.
It includes information about different types of scams, advice about protecting yourself and others, training opportunities and useful resources.
There is also Ask Silver, a scams-checking tool. If you’re unsure about a website, you can enter its web address into the checker. You can also upload a screenshot of a suspicious text, email, letter or other image for assessment.
👉 Try the Ask Silver scams checker
Remember, though, that online checking tools are an aid rather than a guarantee. Encourage people to take care when clicking links, sharing personal information or making payments.
So, as September gets underway, why not make this your own “back to school” month?
Learn something new. Refresh something you already know. Share a useful resource with a colleague. And, perhaps most importantly, start a conversation with an older person about something that could make a real difference to their future.
AWS Danışmanlığı
01/11/2026The Time for a Cuppa campaign’s focus on digital accounts is particularly timely, as many older people are still left without clear instructions on how to handle their online assets after they pass away. I have found that asking about these specific details during casual tea breaks can help normalize the conversation without making it feel overly morbid. It is a practical approach that addresses a gap many families struggle with when trying to access or close these accounts.
OPAAL UK
02/11/2026Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment and for sharing your valuable experience. We couldn’t agree more! It is definitely an issue that needs greater awareness and understanding. Furthermore, we have found that in practical terms, it can be quite tricky for those left behind to engage with any digital service providers unless the right authorisations have been provided by the account holders. As you may know, digital service providers can sometimes be quite difficult to contact and quite rigorous in the application of their policies and procedures. If any of us have specific ideas about what should be happening to our digital accounts after our death, we really need to be making our needs and wants known, and enabling others to execute our wishes on our behalf, as part of thinking about a dignified and autonomous end of life plan.
Thank you so much for all you are doing to help make thinking about this a positive experience for those in your orbit. Let’s hope a great many others follow your example!
Best wishes.
The OPAAL Team