Pledge on OAPs

Council chiefs have pledged that pensioners will continue to be one of the county's 'top priorities' as numbers of older people increase over the coming years. The promise came as representatives of the six older people's forums in East Sussex quizzed the county council's leading politician for adult social services and its most senior officer in their first joint meeting with all six forums.

More than 40 delegates heard how the county is facing a 'demographic time bomb' as the proportion of very elderly in its population is due to increase significantly over the next 10 years and hence more people will need services such as meals in the community, occupational therapy, and many others.

But the council is tackling the issue by increasing spending on adult care services every year for the next three years in excess of any spending increases in other council departments. Addressing the older people's forums, Cllr Keith Glazier, Lead Cabinet Member for Children's and Adult Services, said: "We all know that we will have to change the way we deliver some services because of the pressures ahead - but if we can work together to do this, we can make the most of the resources we have.

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"Together, you all have so much more information about your communities than we do and it would be remiss of us not to take advantage of that. That is why it is very important that the county's older people's forums are a success - so that they can continue to feed into local decision-making." The conference, at the Eastbourne Centre, was organised by the county council to explore ways in which older people could contribute better to the process of how decisions are reached about services which affect them.

Delegates quizzed Cllr Glazier and chief executive Cheryl Miller on issues ranging from climate change and housing to local democracy and council tax.

It was agreed by all present that other services such as leisure, lifelong learning and safer communities are all key to leading long, healthy and active lives and the council is committed with partner organisations to becoming more responsive to older people across the full range of services.

Mrs Miller warned delegates that pressure on services for older people was set to increase far quicker than council funds. "Around 26 per cent of our population is over retirement age and we have a higher proportion of over-85s than any other county," she said. "Many in this older age group find themselves becoming increasingly frail and vulnerable and need more intensive and costly support. "We don't think the funding that local government, and East Sussex in particular, gets for the very oldest residents reflects the true cost of providing this care and support. Demographically, we would be facing a time bomb if we were to ignore this situation. This is why care of the elderly is now one of our very highest priorities." A

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lthough nationally there has been a substantial increase in central government funding for public services, the chief executive said that, despite the increasing demands for all its services, including those for older people, the council had only been given 1.6 million extra year by central government for all of its services outside schools - a below inflation rise of two per cent.

Nevertheless, by careful planning and finding more efficient ways of working, it has committed more than 8m extra to Adult Social Care for the current year.

She added: "This reflects an acknowledgement of the considerable pressures facing East Sussex in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable people in the community and a firm commitment to tackling these pressures."

Delegates at the conference came from the six older people's forums in East Sussex: Hastings and St Leonard's Seniors' Forum Lewes and District Coalition of Older People Meridian and Coastal Downs Mature Citizens' Forum (covering Newhaven, Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs and surrounding areas) Seaford Seniors' Forum Rother Seniors' Forum Wealden Senior Citizens' Partnership Several members of Shropshire Association of Senior Citizens' Forums also attended the event to give the benefits of their experiences of working with Shropshire County Council.

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The county's older peoples forums were developed as part of the council's Strategy for Involving Older People. For more information on how East Sussex County Council provides care services for people over 50, please call Mike Taggart in the press office on 01273 481435.

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