INGEUS
'Ageless' Workers the Key to Future Business Growth
 Ingeus is an award winning employment services provider that has become a thriving international business based on its simple philosophy that whether a person is mature aged, on a single parent's pension, on disability support, young or homeless, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Respect for their circumstances. Respect for their skills. Respect for their dreams.
Ingeus works in partnership with public employment services to design innovative solutions to find lasting employment for key groups of unemployed people, based on international best practice. Currently operating in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Ingeus' welfare-to-work programmes help thousands of people find employment every year.
'Ingeus is a company that measures, drives and celebrates our success on our ability to assist people from dependence to independence; from unemployment to employment. Our success stems from the success of those we help,' said Thérèse Rein, the founder and Managing Director of Ingeus. 'But, Ingeus does more than find jobs for people. We give them the means for a better life. We treat everyone as an individual.'
 Since it was established as a rehabilitation services provider in Brisbane in 1989 with just two employees, Ingeus has observed and responded to many changes in the world of work. In particular, according to Ingeus Deputy Managing Director, Greg Ashmead despite widespread awareness of the impact of the ageing population many hardworking mature-aged people still face cultural and attitudinal barriers which keep them out of the workforce. 'We all know that in all aspects of business experience counts,' Mr Ashmead said, 'But when it comes to mature-aged workers it seems all that accumulated know-how doesn't always add up to a job.' Ingeus has been working closely with employers and governments to develop strategies to retain and upskill workers with a view to creating an 'ageless' workforce focused on people's productivity rather than their age. 'Ingeus works with employers to help them understand they shouldn't embrace mature-aged workers out of perceived necessity, rather because they have a genuine appreciation of their value to the business,' Mr Ashmead said. To read more about Ingeus and their ageless workers campaign, please click here. You can also find out more about Ingeus and contact them directly by visiting their website here. |
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Senior Officials Meeting - Montreal September 2008
On behalf of the IFA we wish to thank all government officials for their interest and participation in the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) held September 4th, 2008 in Montréal, Canada. Designed to bring together senior government officials from developed and developing countries, the meeting provided a platform for many informative presentations, examining current trends in Ageing-in-Place policy and practice. The meeting brought together over 100 senior officials from governments across the world.
A total of twenty-three (23) presentations were given over the course of the meeting, representing policy, practice and views from not only developed countries, but of those developing and in transition. Presentations ranged from a whole of government perspective which outlined the broad range of policy responses that can be defined as supporting ageing in place to portfolio specific initiatives, such as pensions and financial protection systems that enable older people to have choice.
There were four (4) key elements underpinning all presentations:
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The basic right to make choices does not change with age. Older people have the right to choose where and with whom they will make a home;
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Relationships with family, friends and Carers are a particularly important component of maintaining the health and well being of older people;
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To age in place successfully requires early individualized planning; and
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Creating choice for older people to remain in the community requires a whole of government response across portfolios.
 In this edition of IFA eNews we profile the Summary Report presented by Australia. The full Australian report and other country reports are available on the IFA website.
Australian Government policies and programs to support ageing in place have evolved over the past 40 years. Today, as Australians age most prefer to stay in their own homes. Whenever possible, through care in the community programs the Australian Government assists them to continue living at home, participating in their communities. As they become more frail and can no longer be assisted to stay in their homes, Australian Government subsidised care is available in residential aged care homes. In most cases, residents in aged care homes can age in place as their care needs increase. Four main strategies have contributed to this evolution:
- Removing funding and administrative barriers to ageing in place in residential aged care homes;
- Adjusting the provision ratio to include places for care in the community to enable subsidies for provision of packaged care;
- Diversifying the types of packaged care in the community to support people with high care needs, including dementia with challenging behaviours; to continue to live at home; and
- Introducing a range of services and supports that recognise older people with special needs require different kinds of support, support that is responsive to their particular circumstances to assist them to remain active and independent as they grow older.
The ageing of Australia's population will continue to challenge policies for and the sustainability of support for ageing in place, not least because the supply of informal carers will decrease.
The Australian Government has put in place a wide-ranging work program to ensure that the health and aged care systems are better placed to meet future demands from population ageing.
Social inclusion, a better understanding of consumer perspectives, a greater focus of prevention and personal responsibility for healthy ageing, the relationship between housing and care, and innovation in models of care are all likely to be key components in ageing in place into the future. |
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Closing the Gap in a Generation
Health Equity Though Action on the Social Determinants of Health |
 Social justice is a matter of life and death. It affects the way people live, their consequent chance of illness, and their risk of premature death. We watch in wonder as life expectancy and good health continue to increase in parts of the world and in alarm as they fail to improve in others. A girl born today can expect to live for more than 80 years if she is born in some countries - but less than 45 years if she is born in others. Within countries there are dramatic differences in health that are closely linked with degrees of social disadvantage. Differences of this magnitude, within and between countries, simply should never happen.
These inequities in health, avoidable health inequalities, arise because of the circumstances in which people grow, live, work, and age, and the systems put in place to deal with illness. The conditions in which people live and die are, in turn, shaped by political, social, and economic forces.
Social and economic policies have a determining impact on whether a child can grow and develop to its full potential and live a flourishing life, or whether its life will be blighted. Increasingly the nature of the health problems rich and poor countries have to solve are converging. The development of a society, rich or poor, can be judged by the quality of its population's health, how fairly health is distributed across the social spectrum, and the degree of protection provided from disadvantage as a result of ill-health.
In the spirit of social justice, the Commission on Social Determinants of Health was set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005 to marshal the evidence on what can be done to promote health equity, and to foster a global movement to achieve it.
As the Commission has done its work, several countries and agencies have become partners seeking to frame policies and programmes, across the whole of society that influence the social determinants of health and improve health equity. These countries and partners are in the forefront of a global movement.
The Commission calls on the WHO and all governments to lead global action on the social determinants of health with the aim of achieving health equity. It is essential that governments, civil society, WHO, and other global organizations now come together in taking action to improve the lives of the world's citizens. Achieving health equity within a generation is achievable, it is the right thing to do, and now is the right time to do it. Download Full Report
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The Economic Crisis: Where do Older Persons fit in?
The Economic Slowdown's Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans
For most of us, the current economic situation is a new experience; however, talk of the economic crisis has quickly become a part of our quotidian. While many economists are calling the economical crisis that has enveloped the United States and much of the developing world a 'once in a lifetime' event, many seniors disagree - they have seen this once before (cbc.ca).
 Fortunate seniors such as Jean Myers from Amherst, MA, laugh and remember that it was the Great Depression that taught the nation to value what they had and not live beyond their means. But in the wake of falling financial markets, as cutting expenses becomes a way of life for just about everyone, some area experts fear seniors are particularly vulnerable. But older poor people and those who are homebound are doubly squeezed by rising gas and food prices, because they rely not just on social service agencies, but also on volunteers. In the survey of agencies, more than 70 percent said it was more difficult to recruit and keep volunteers.
Agencies providing services such as meals on wheels or driving the elderly to medical appointments have already cut-back services in response to higher gas prices, and 90 percent expected to make further cutbacks in the 2009 fiscal year (nytimes.com). "The Economic Slowdown's Impact on Middle-Aged and Older Americans" revealed that 59% of seniors age 65 and older surveyed said they'd found it more difficult to pay for utilities such as heating, cooling and phone service (aarp.org).
The turmoil in financial markets has affected many aspects of the economy, including pensions. The most direct effect on pensions is through the prices of financial assets such as corporate equities and bonds. Canadians who are within 3 years of retirement have lost approximately 35% of the value of their pensions. Many older people will be forced to work beyond retirement to make ends meet unless the economy improves. As a result, older people are continuing to work, beyond their health capacities, and are cutting spending on food, entertainment and medication - often leading to life threatening situations.
As we have just entered the economic slowdown, the reach of the economic crisis will remain unknown for quite some time. IFA will continue to monitor the impacts of the economic slowdown on older persons. For More Information Click Here |
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The World Health Report 2008
Primary Health Care: Now More Than Ever |
 On October 14, 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the 2008 World Health Report entitled 'Primary Health Care: Now more than ever'. In the publication, the WHO critically assesses the way that health care is organised, financed and delivered in developed and developing countries around the world. The report highlights a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, with striking inequities.
Primary health care (PHC) was put forward thirty years ago as a set of values, principles and approaches aimed at raising the level of health in deprived populations. At the time, PHC was largely misunderstood and misconstrued as poor care for poor people. Some even saw PHC as a threat to the medical establishment. The PHC model embraces a view of health beyond a narrow medical model. It recognises that many root causes of ill health and disease lie beyond the control of the health sector and thus, must be tackled through a broader society approach. In the report, WHO proposes four key reforms proposed to respond to the health inequalities and to achieve Primary health care, which promotes a holistic approach to health that makes prevention equally important as cure in a continuum of care that extends throughout the lifespan. The four responses include:
- Universal Coverage Reforms to improve health equity regardless of ability to pay.
- Leadership Reforms to make health authorities more reliable all components of society (even those not traditionally involved in health care) need to be engaged.
- Service Delivery Reforms to make health systems people-centred to respond to people's needs through delivery points embedded in communities.
- Public policy Reforms to promote and protect the health of communities by integrating health into all policies.
The PHC approach brings a balance to health care by putting communities at the centre of the health system. The core strategy for tackling inequalities is to move towards universal coverage in a spirit of equity, social justice and solidarity. Primary health care is an approach that works in conjunction with some of the major challenges facing today's societies including; the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, rapid and unplanned urbanization, and the ageing of populations. Read the Complete Document
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United Nation's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, people and organizations around the world celebrated the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17th. The theme of this year's observance was "Human Rights and Dignity of People Living in Poverty". Activists around the world marked their observances through organised marches, rallies and concerts. Many took pause to reflect upon the UN Millennium Development Goals, which called for reducing the proportion of people living in poverty in half by 2015. Although some countries such as India and China have benefited from recent economic growth, the world is not on target to achieve the UN goal, especially in African countries where the access to basic resources, capabilities, choices, security and power are still limited.  While poverty in developing countries continues to be an issue, far less attention is paid to poverty in developed nations, where the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow. In the United States for example, a study conducted in 2007 by the Harrah's foundation in conjunction with Meals on Wheels America reports that 11.4%, or 5 million older persons experience food insecurity. Food insecurity includes (but is not limited to); insufficient intake, nutritional inadequacy, food anxiety and disrupted eating habits. Although the rate of poverty amongst older persons declined between 1989 and 1997 (aarp.org), since 2003, poverty has once again begun to rise. Meals on Wheels America predicts that in 2025, an estimated 9.5 million senior Americans will experience some form of food insecurity, and an estimate 1 million senior Americans will suffer from hunger. Indeed, there is a long road ahead in halving the proportion of people living in poverty. The time for action is now. Websites of interest: UN international Day for the Eradication of Poverty and Meals on Wheels America |
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Profile of an IFA Director -
Jan Lorman
 Jan Lorman is
a founder of the humanitarian organization ZIVOT 90, a notable Czech national
association with more than 11 000 members that represents the interests and
needs the nation's older population. The main goal of this association is to
create conditions for exchange, the storing and dissemination of experiences,
knowledge and proficiencies of older people and to strive for the improvement
of the quality of life of older people where nobody is in a position to be
ashamed for his/her age. Mr. Lorman has been chair and director of ZIVOT 90
since 1990.
ZIVOT 90 is
currently developing a very useful and innovative project called Senior Light - providing emergency care
for seniors and disabled people. Senior Light is a civic service provided with
the aim of easing the potential health and social risks for older and disabled
people resulting from social and physical isolation and lack of access to
information. Technological innovations
will make it possible to utilize internet connections for audiovisual
communication with older people, and to establish a multi-party network linking
a wide range of health, social, financial, educational and commercial services
that can be accessed by older people themselves.
Mr. Lorman is
currently organizing the European
Conference on Care and Protection of Senior Citizens, which will be held in
Prague in May
2009. The conference programme will cover several key themes, among them:
Dignity, Elder Abuse and Neglect - considered together as one continuum; Family
Care - the benefits and the risks; and a consideration of a European Strategy
to combat Elder Abuse against older women. Dr Robert Butler of the International
Longevity Centre - USA
will be among the key participants at this conference, as will be IFA Directors
Mrs. Irene Hoskins, Mr. Gordon Lishman, Dr. Yitzchak Brick, and Prof. Ariela Lowenstein.
For more information about ZIVOT 90, please visit their website here.
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 HelpAge International
Regional Meetings for 2008
HelpAge International is a network of more then 70 affiliate NGOs in over 50 countries working together supporting practical programmes, giving a voice to older people, and influencing policy at local, national, and international levels. HelpAge operates with the vision where all older people fulfil their potential to lead dignified, healthy and secure lives. This fall, HelpAge International is holding their 2008 regional affiliates and partners' meetings. The Latin America Regional meeting was held in Bogota, Colombia between September 8th and 11th, with an agenda that included network development and HelpAge's Age Demands Action project. The Africa Regional meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya between September 15th and 17th September, with issues on the agenda such as health, social protection, emergencies and branding. The Caribbean Regional meeting will be the next in the series, and will take place in Barbados between the 6th and 10th of October. This meeting will focus on such areas as social protection and emergencies. The Asia/Pacific Regional will be the final in the 2008 series, occuring in Bali, Indonesia between the 13th and 16th of October. Issues of health, branding and network development will top the agenda for discussion. For more information on these meetings, on HelpAge International, and their affiliates please click here.
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Theories on Law and Ageing: I. Doron - University of Haifa, Israel
A new must read publication for those interested in law and ageing!
The fundamental idea of "law and ageing" as a discrete category of legal principle and theory is controversial: What special feature and characteristics of "older adults" justify and even require a particular theoretical approach? Is it possible to formulate legitimate generalizations about a group identified as "older adults", while avoiding the harmful stereotypes of ageism? And what if anything is gained by the approach?
 In an attempt to provide answers to these difficult questions, this publication presents a collection of different theoretical frameworks to the field of law and ageing. Written by the leading scholars in the field, this book describes the diverse and rich theoretical landscape of this field, and argues that time has come to recognize the importance of "Jurisprudential Gerontology" for the future development of the socio-legal science of ageing.... More on........
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Workshop on Comparative and International Age Diversity and Age Management
February 12 & 13, 2009 - Middlesex University Business School
All are invited to attend and participate at Middlesex University Business School's workshop on age diversity and age management on February 12th and 13th in London; this event will be the first of its kind to address this issue from an international perspective. Theoretical and research-based papers covering a variety of perspectives related to the conference themes are welcomed:
- Comparative research on age management and age diversity in different national contexts and / or research that examines these issues within multinational firms
- Research that systematically analyses socio-economic, institutional, societal and cultural contexts and their impact on age diversity and age management in organizations.
- Research that focuses on the effect of institutional and organizational age management and age diversity strategies on employment and career outcomes of individuals.
The study of age diversity and age management has generally focused on the policies, practices and strategies of organizations within one national context, while international research often consists of single country studies and do not systematically analyze international differences. This workshop intends to present comparative and international perspectives age diversity and age management. Please find submission and registration details here. |
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We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading our newsletters this year. We look forward to continuing our exchanges in 2009! | |
International Federation on Ageing 
