ABOUT US
OPAAL is a charity funded to promote and develop resources to help older people and those that care for them to speak up about the needs and wants of older people.
OPAAL also promotes and champions the efforts of all those engaged in independent advocacy for older people and maintains a membership network of people and organisations committed to supporting older people to speak up about their rights and preferences.
Advocacy supports and enables people who have difficulty representing their interests, to exercise their rights, express their views, explore and make informed choices. In short, advocates help others speak up about what is right for them.
With this in mind, OPAAL’s aims are:
To provide the strategic lead on advocacy with older people
To ensure that older people have access to advocacy
To support the development of new national advocacy projects to meet the needs of older people
To improve standards of advocacy practice to older people
What OPAAL wants to achieve – our statement of intent
We believe that there are specific circumstances where all individuals must have a right to the support of an independent advocate to ensure that their own interests and preferences are acknowledged and addressed.
Such advocacy services must be defined in terms of their scope and purpose and be based upon appropriately trained and supported personnel, whether voluntary or paid.
As an essential first step, these advocacy services must be available to all older people who are:
At the point of discharge from hospital.
Directly affected by a change in the management or running of their care service.
At the point of accessing continuing care and community care services.
At the point of being assessed for continuing care and community care services.
At all reviews affecting care services in hospital and the community.
When something needs to change in their home or where they live.
When facing issues in the workplace.
When struggling to keep up with technological advancements which can act as a barrier to accessing goods and services.