Coalition considers Joan Bakewell’s plan for elderly ‘tsar’

A new government “tsar” for elderly people could be appointed to protect the rights of pensioners and combat ageism in society, under plans being considered by ministers.

By , Political Correspondent

8:28PM GMT 30 Nov 2011

Wales and Northern Ireland have already appointed commissioners for the elderly while all countries in the UK have children’s commissioners to promote the rights of young people.

The health minister Earl Howe announced that the Coalition was considering whether a commissioner dedicated to protecting older people should be appointed in England.

The proposal follows a series of highly critical reports warning that elderly people are being neglected and treated poorly by the NHS and home carers, while councils are cutting funds for nursing homes.

Last week, the Equality and Human Rights Commission disclosed that up to 250,000 pensioners were suffering abuse and neglect at the hands of carers in their own homes.

Baroness Joan Bakewell, the 78-year old broadcaster, was appointed by the last Labour government to act as the “voice” of the elderly but no public figure has taken on the role since last year’s election.

During a debate in the House of Lords, Lady Bakewell urged the government to appoint a commissioner who could promote awareness of ageing issues, challenge age discrimination and offer ongoing help to older people.

Lady Bakewell, a Labour peer, said: “Old age is not a condition you cure. We are not hoping that old people get better. Scientific advances will not find miracle cures that reduce the incidence of old age.

“Medical science will paradoxically be increasing the numbers in this cohort and this change constitutes one of the largest challenges developed societies are having to face.

“The statistics are familiar and frightening. Ten million people are now over 65 in the UK. By 2034, 23% of the population will be over 65 and of them 3.5 million will be over 85.”

She said there was “little appreciation” of the scale of what was required to offer the ageing population sufficient support and care in the future.

Earl Howe told Lady Bakewell that she had made “a strong case for a specific commissioner for older people”.

“It is an issue that ministerial colleagues are looking at,” he said. “I will discuss it further with them and I am the first to agree that leadership in this area is vital.”

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph last weekend, an alliance of charities and nursing groups called for urgent improvements to elderly care and demanded the creation of a new minister for older people.

Labour has appointed Liz Kendall MP as the party’s front bench “shadow minister” for older people, despite there being no dedicated government minister for the elderly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8529590/Coalition-considers-Joan-Bakewells-plan-for-elderly-tsar.html