I was honoured to have been elected Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ageing and Older People.
I have always been interested in how we treat older generations, and in health and care policy more generally, and before becoming an MP I worked for Age UK, the UK’s largest charity working with elderly people. How we treat the elderly is particularly important in East Sussex, which has more over-85 year olds than any other county in the country, and the second highest number of over-75 year olds.
One of the biggest challenges facing our society is how we combat loneliness among elderly people, and I am pleased to have backed Age UK’s campaign to raise awareness of the issue. I also wrote to the Director of Adult Social Care & Health for East Sussex County Council, asking for an update on “the steps the Council has already taken to prioritise loneliness and whether it is now being addressed in the joint health and wellbeing strategy.”
In October 2015 and 2016, I was thrilled to mark both Older People's Day and Pensions Awareness Day by championing the contribution of older people to society. As a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Justice for Equitable Life Policyholders, I also took advantage of the opportunity posed by Pensions Awareness Day to urge members of company pension schemes to check their Equitable Life policies, in advance of the compensation scheme closing to new claimants.
I am delighted that my constituency of Wealden is home to a dementia friendly village. Rotherfield St Martin, in the village of Rotherfield, is a charity that works to ensure that elderly people are supported to live their lives the way they want to, and it is my aim that one day Wealden will also have a dementia friendly town. Dementia is a vital humanitarian and social care issue, and I have spoken in a debate in the House of Commons about it. I was also proud to become a dementia friend myself, in March.
I hosted the launch of the Sussex Elders’ Commission (SEC) 2015-16 Report, the first of its kind, at the House of Commons - this landmark project saw over 1,500 individual conversations take place with older people about policing, crime and community safety. I was proud to add my support to the Commission’s work, and will be reflecting on its conclusions carefully.
During my time as Chair, the All-Party Group had an exciting programme of events and campaigns, all focused on the ways in which we can better support our elderly neighbours, friends and family. I for one will continue to speak up for them, and will be proud to do so.
