The enormous contributions older people make to society – and the barriers holding them back
Older people’s contributions to their communities are invaluable - they matter for the wellbeing of older people and their families, as well as for their neighbourhoods.
But, writes our Research, Impact and Voice Evidence Manager Sarah Wilkinson, these vital contributions are often overlooked or limited by ageism and other barriers.
Older people contribute hugely to their communities and in many varied ways, as our new Society chapter for State of Ageing 2023/24 details. People in their 50s and 60s provide the lion’s share of unpaid caregiving for disabled and older family members, friends and neighbours.
It’s also the case that 65 to 74-year-olds are the most likely to volunteer – both formally (providing unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations) and informally (giving unpaid help to other people who are not relatives).
Through our work at Ageing Better, we’ve met older people who have set up and run arts and culture organisations and others volunteering in major projects, such as extra care housing project developments. We’ve also spoken to people who help informally with dog walking, cooking meals, or clearing houses and redistributing belongings after someone has died. As our own Experts by Experience Network member describes below, this is invaluable support for communities that is rarely recognised or acknowledged.
Just an incredible amount of community glue stuff that nobody ever sees.
Participating in our communities contributes to feelings of belonging which is important for wellbeing and health. And consistent with the higher levels of volunteering we see among older people, we’re also aware that they have a greater sense of ‘belonging’ to their neighbourhoods than younger people.
It’s clear that older people play a vital role in their communities with benefits for themselves, their families and their neighbours. But despite this, there are barriers to participation: for some groups of people these are long-standing and entrenched, while some barriers are emerging because of recent changes in society.
National data shows that volunteering among older people is not evenly spread. More than a quarter of people aged 50 and over living in the least deprived communities formally volunteer at least once a month. This is compared to one in ten in the most deprived communities.
There are likely many reasons for this disparity. Some relate to inequalities between places, including the strength of the voluntary and community sector, but others relate to barriers faced specifically by older people in poorer areas.
These include far greater rates of poor health for themselves and much greater caregiving responsibilities because of poor health in others. People living in the most deprived neighbourhoods are at least twice as likely to provide 35 or more hours of unpaid care per week compared to those in the least deprived neighbourhoods. Carers and people in poorer health require more age-friendly and inclusive volunteering approaches to get involved.
Also, participation in volunteering has been impacted by recent events, notably the pandemic which led, unsurprisingly, to a huge drop in formal volunteering. But the data show that this type of volunteering has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with community organisations linking this trend to the cost-of-living crisis:
It’s not surprising that volunteering has failed to pick up after the pandemic. The cost-of-living crisis means older people have less money – and less time. Many are looking after grandchildren more, while their own children work extra hours to make ends meet.
Furthermore, the contributions of older adults are vital but often overlooked because of deep-seated ageism in our society. Indeed, older people themselves are often invisible and ‘othered’, even though older people are just as likely to act on issues that matter to everyone, such as making lifestyle changes to tackle the climate crisis.
Our own data shows that older people who already face structural disadvantage in life, through being poorer, disabled or from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, are more likely to report experiencing ageism.
We know that ageism causes harm to individuals, devaluing and marginalising them, excluding them from society and its institutions and, importantly, affecting older people’s beliefs in their own abilities. So, ageism, often combined with additional structural barriers, not only causes harm to individuals but also limits the contributions we can make to society as we age.
Building an Age-friendly Movement which tackles ageism, alongside appointing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing to address marginalisation, is needed to create a society where we can all flourish and contribute to our communities in later life.