The news that hundreds of elderly patients have been starved to death, or otherwise ‘murdered’ by neglect whilst in hospitals, appears to have shocked many people. Why? Abuse and neglect of our elders is now an accepted feature of British society and has been for some time. I remember a Spanish journalist some years back commenting on a British-led campaign to abolish bull-fighting who said: ‘And this from people who mistreat their old people, get your own house in order first’. He had a point. There have been numerous reports over the years showing how older people are regularly let down by the NHS or by local social care services, but the neglect seems to have just got worse. We also know, and appear to accept as a society, that hundreds, if not thousands, of elderly people will die every year because they can’t afford to heat their homes and have to choose between food, or warmth. Even more to the point, every day in the press we read of another sickening assault on some older person, and often in the own home. Many of these attacks are targeted on the elderly; imagine any other sector of the community facing targeted attacks in this way, the outcry would be loud and long.

The shrugged acceptance of this abuse of the elderly seems, on the surface, to be at odds with a society that is super obsessed with appearing correct, and particularly about human rights. We have just witnessed a campaign to give convicted prisoners the vote – because of their human rights. There is another campaign afoot to have sex offenders removed from the register after a period of time – because of their human rights. What about the human rights of the elderly? The obsession with being PC was shown for all its glory when the Sky Sports presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys were hounded from their jobs because of remarks they made about a female assistant referee off camera. Nobody died here, but both men lost their jobs. How many people have lost their jobs as a result of the abuse of the elderly? And who can accept that the media corporation that owns Sky was championing the rights of women when it also publishes the bloody Sun newspaper! Then, last year do you remember when a lady was prosecuted after being caught dropping a cat into a wheely bin? Terrible cruelty to the poor animal, they all wailed in the media, and she got death threats. Eventually, after a campaign by the RSPCA and animal rights activists (who generally hate humans anyway) the lady was prosecuted for cruelty. How many people were prosecuted for cruelty over the abuse of the elderly? And why is this abuse and neglect acceptable?

The main problem with modern society is that it is geared towards individualism and promotes self-obsession as a way of life. Added to which families and communities are being driven apart by the debts built up from rampant consumerism promoted by government and media alike and don’t have the time, or money, to look after older relatives. This is also a youth-orientated society, and looking young is so fashionable people have surgery to retain it. It would seem that when you get to 50, society is ready to write you off. In the recent unemployment figures much was made of the numbers of those aged 18-24 on the list, nearly a million, but nothing was said about the fact that nearly the same number of over-50s are also unemployed, and many for over 12 months. And how many times have we heard the mantra that we need more young people involved in politics, or in the media? What for?  Young people are a dwindling minority. Add up these factors and they combine to ensure that, for whatever reason, nobody can be bothered with older citizens. They are seen as an inconvenience, a burden. But why?

The over-50s will soon make up the largest part of our population, and certainly the largest part of the electorate. Just think about how obsessed the BBC and other organisations are about making sure their staffing levels ‘reflect our diverse society’(Remember Greg Dyke complaining that the BBC was ‘hideously white’?). Yes, well how many over 50s will they, or other public organisations employ? especially now that the default retirement age has gone and people are expected to work up to 68. By contrast, it is the over-50s who run most of our voluntary organisations and charities. It is the over-50s who act as both a bank and an unpaid childcare service to their younger family members. I work with the over-50s and they are part of a generation that worked from the age of 14 or 15 without a day off or on benefit, often paying high taxes to build the NHS and Welfare State in its infancy; they did not live off credit, but saved for the things they wanted and managed to put money away for the future (and for which they are now penalised by the State). They grew up as part of a society that mucked-in together to build this country up after the worst military conflict of modern times. They didn’t moan about ‘being bored’ but worked hard, brought up families and coped.

Sadly, in return for their years of sacrifice the elderly are treated worst than second-class citizens in ‘yufe’ obsessed, PC-obsessed society. They are taken for granted by everyone around them and expected to pay for everybody else’s selfish lifestyle choice. And the political parties that they thought represented their views are so obsessed with minorities and appeasing the EU, that they feel betrayed every day they turn on the TV. Even more to the point, they see a future of neglect in a nation that has got so used to throwaway consumerism, that it also throws away its elderly. These fears of future neglect are compounded by the scale of government cuts to local council budgets and by the fact that many private social care homes are now making use of the current jobs crisis by forcing its staff to take pay cuts – thus lowering the quality of care provided. Finally, they are confused because they have something to offer and youth-obsessed Britain still treats them as ‘geriatrics’.

So, we need to get rid of this notion that the elderly are a burden. Far from it, the elderly offer knowledge of life, employment skills and a social awareness that is enormously important in our ever-changing world. They also offer an ethos of self-improvement, community spirit and caring that is vital to our society. Given proper investment and support in Adult Education many elderly people could continue to work, even if only part-time, until well into their seventies and even eighties. They could also be paid to mind grandchildren and thus free-up single mums to work. Crucially, in a society that will become dominated by the voluntary sector in the years ahead, the elderly will be the core provider of many local services. Therefore it is important that we value our elderly and, above all, treat them with the same dignity and respect that we would expect ourselves to be treated. They are not a burden, they are our senior citizens and as English Radicals we value their contribution to the building of our modern society and are proud that they choose to become members of our ever-growing movement. 
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Across the country care homes and facilities for our elderly are being closed. With an increasingly ageing population, this is yet another example of how the human rights of our elderly are being eroded in this country today. 

Far from being treated with respect and dignity by the powers that be, our elderly and most vulnerable are almost regarded as a burden, with some herded from care home to care home as one by one they are closed down. Even within some of the care homes and sheltered accommodation schemes, resident wardens are being scrapped, thus further increasing the risk to the most vulnerable. This is nothing less than governmental neglect by the political elite who seem to think a duck house or a clean moat within their grounds is more important than a care home. 

We constantly hear the words ‘care in the community’, and are led to believe there is no reduction in the level of service when this is implemented. We are even told in some circumstances that ‘care in the community is better’. In reality ‘care in the community’ does not exist. How can evicting someone from a secure, safe and friendly environment in which they planned to spend the final years, into what is increasingly becoming a hostile, uncaring environment be better? How can replacing wardens which live on the premises with ones that live miles away not have a detrimental effect on the level of care? It’s impossible for this to be better for the majority of our elderly and vulnerable, whose wishes are not even taken into consideration. The only people it is better for are those trying to save money on services, who no doubt make these decisions whilst sitting in plush furnished offices. 

In the end what it boils down to is cost. For the governments of today feel it is better to fight to free the people of Baghdad and Kabul than to give our old folk the security and peace of mind they deserve in their final years. Unfortunately, with the proposed cuts the Con-Dem coalition plans to implement things are going to get a lot worse.  This will mean many of those that paid high taxes during the 1950’s. 60’s and 70’s will face even further hardship and governmental neglect.

The English Radical Alliance plan to oppose such cutbacks and campaign for the human rights our elderly and most vulnerable thoroughly deserve. Human rights which are currently being ignored.
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We are supposed to live in a humane, caring society. One aspect of a caring society is to protect and look after our old folk and the most vulnerable. Greed and penny pinching should not even come into consideration in our quest as a nation to care for this section of society. Unfortunately in sheltered housing greed and penny pinching have priority over care and it seems the government and local council’s are doing very little to aid the residents of sheltered housing schemes in their plight.

Residents in sheltered housing schemes, and the families of those residents rely heavily on the dedication and support of the schemes warden. However sheltered housing wardens’ posts have been cut or put under threat across England since the government set up its flagship housing support programme.

A  survey by Inside Housing showed that three-quarters of all respondents of Supporting People commissioners said warden numbers had been reduced or that their posts were being placed under review. This is completely unacceptable in what is supposed to be a modern caring country.

The results of this survey come amid mounting concern over the replacement of onsite wardens by a system of visiting carers, known as ‘floating support’. This has detrimental effect on the level of care residents in sheltered housing schemes receive. Again this is completely unacceptable.

It does seem that both the government and the housing associations that once provided resident wardens care little. The government is more concerned with what is going on in Afghanistan than the lives of the elderly in England – and by their lack or limited response to this issue the other main parties are no better. It seems the main, over-riding priority of housing associations has become mergers, acquisitions and empire building. They will cost cut and penny pinch from areas where care is needed most and in doing so deprive the most vulnerable sector of society what can be deemed as a basic human right. The housing associations seem to care more about their balance sheets, funding salaries to overpaid executives and furnishing their offices than their vulnerable residents.

It may be the case that some residents in sheltered housing will be satisfied with the care they receive from the new ‘floating support’ arrangements. But it appears the majority are clearly not and it is the most vulnerable that are suffering most from this cost cutting measure.

As English Radicals we care about the people of England and the care of our elderly is very close to our hearts. It is worth remembering the majority of such people have paid taxes all their lives, yet face second rate treatment to some sections of the society that have not paid a penny. This why the English Radical Alliance is calling for legislation to be introduced to protect the positions of existing wardens and for the present ‘floating support’ system to be reversed. Our elderly and most vulnerable need care and it is the duty of our elected representatives to ensure they receive that care. The Flagship Support Programme and the ‘floating support’ system is failing to deliver the necessary care and support our elderly need. What is required is an English Radical agenda that will shift priority from profit making directives and penny pinching to actually providing support and care for our old folk. An agenda that will shift priority from expensive foreign military campaigns, quangos and tax cuts for the rich to providing a country that is fit for all generations to live in.

The question needs to be asked is will ANY of the other political parties provide such a country? I think their record on M.P’s expenses or obsession with single issues provides the answer. For an English Radical agenda, you need an English radical political party and for that there is only one answer – the English Radical Alliance!

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