Outreach report based on feedback from people aged 50+ who attend community groups visited by EngAGE in Stoke-on-Trent
Living Well in Winter
Contents Pg
Introduction 2
List of Community Groups 2
Method Used 2
Emerging Themes 3
Overview of Responses 4
Q1. What do you currently do to look after yourself in the colder
months? 4
a) In your own home
b) Your health
c) Your social life
Q2. What’s different in winter (for you), as opposed to summer? 5
a) In your home
b) Your health
c) Your social life
Q3. What would help you to make a difference to the way you feel
when it’s cold and dark outside? 7
a) How could this be achieved?
b) Who could help?
Non-Consultative Outreach Work 9
Appendix A: Questionnaire 11
Appendix 2: Verbatim Feedback 13
Introduction
The purpose of EngAGE Outreach Work is to ensure that people aged 50+
who cannot, or do not want to, attend the large scale Stoke-on-Trent Fifty+ Forum meetings, can still have their voices heard. The Outreach Worker is also involved in publicity, research and attends other relevant meetings.
The Forum Committee were keen to address the topic of “Living Well in Winter”. This had been highlighted at a meeting of the West Midlands Later Life Forum. The Joint Commissioning Unit and Public Health Stoke-on Trent were both supportive of this initiative.
At the time of commencement of this consultation, no discussion questions had been put forward by commissioners or service providers. The Outreach Worker carried out some research online, and sought guidance from local charities whose work involves supporting older people in Winter. As a result she designed a set of appropriate questions, which were then used in group visits to elicit the feedback that forms the basis of this report. Please note that, when the 50+ Forum met on 15th October 2014, the members addressed a different set of consultation questions regarding the provision of energy efficiency advice to vulnerable people.
We at EngAGE would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have given of their time to contribute to this outreach feedback report.
List of Community Groups
Groups who have been involved in this consultation, and have provided feedback, are:
West End Village: Stoke (10 people)
Bentilee Luncheon Clubs x 2, Tuesday and Friday (65)
Trentham Welcome Club (50)
Newhouse Court: Bucknall (10)
dDeaflinks: Hanley (60)
M.H.A. Live At Home: Ball Green Project (24)
M.H.A. Live At Home Scheme: Norton Project (36)
L.G.B.T.: Hanley (13)
Method Used
The EngAGE Outreach Worker visited 9 community groups across Stoke-on-Trent. Through these visits 268 people have been reached, and have given their views, opinions and experiences of how their lives have been, or could be, affected in winter. The feedback highlighted here has been collected from a cross section of older people who access groups, and live out in the community, in their own homes or in sheltered housing, i.e. warden supported or in retirement villages.
When working with the smaller groups the Outreach Worker prepared a flip-chart, and wrote up the feedback; these groups were West End Village, Newhouse Court and Ball Green L.A.H. With larger groups, i.e. Bentilee Luncheon Clubs, dDeaflinks and Norton L.A.H., the Worker put together a set of questions, which were then completed by a ‘Scribe’, on tables of around eight people. In the case of Trentham Welcome Club the room had been set out in theatre style, so it was appropriate to ask members to form into small groups where they were seated. As the consultation was integrated into their monthly meeting, L.G.B.T. members preferred to complete the questionnaires together later. These were then delivered to the EngAGE office. All answers here are the consensus outcome of discussions. It must be emphasised that this is a consultation document and does not in any way constitute a research piece. Percentages are approximate, with some people giving more than one answer to the same question.
The questionnaire is attached as Appendix A; verbatim feedback from 46 completed questionnaires is attached as Appendix B. Further information gathered via flip charts is available at the EngAGE office.
Emerging Themes
The overriding themes emerging from this consultation seemed to be around:
• Keeping warm
• Eating well, with hot food and drinks
• Social contact.
The feedback reveals a high degree of active self-help and adaptation to facilitate living better in the colder months, though this is not without anxiety. The obvious need to keep warm brings with it, for those in their own homes (as distinct from sheltered accommodation), concern about being able to afford their winter fuel bills. Practices such as only using one room in the house, and adding extra layers of clothing and bedding, seem to be widespread.
Health, in the medical sense, was not high on the agenda. Under this heading the focus is very much on self-care by means of a good diet, keeping warm and getting out when you can, with fewer direct references to health services than might have been expected. Many responses refer to the experience of poorer general health in the winter. There is a good awareness of the need to have the flu jab, together with a recognition that this is not easy for all older people to accomplish.
Most respondents report a reduction in social contact enjoyed in the colder months. People miss the opportunities that are available to them when the weather is better. They are more reliant on the support of local clubs and organisations, and that of family and friends. Keeping up social contact in winter would seem to be easier for those living in retirement villages/sheltered housing schemes.
Some groups – among them the large group at dDeaflinks – spoke of their concerns about feeling unsafe when out and about in the winter, making reference to lighting, pavement surfaces, feeling generally less well and the risk of falling. A range of activities is mentioned, both those pursued at home and those that involve going out, together with some light-hearted references to tea and toy-boys. There seems to be considerable resilience amongst the people who have taken part in this consultation, and a determination to take positive steps to get through the winter as well as possible, given the right support.
Overview of Responses
Q1. What do you currently do to look after yourself in the colder months?
Q1a. In your home:-
The main focus in answer to how people look after themselves in the home, during winter weather, was around keeping warm. 74% answered “turn my heating up” whilst 86% stated that, as well as this, they also wear extra clothing. 27% highlighted the importance of being warm in bed with extra blankets, or winter duvets, and 11% use hot water bottles. Only two responses alluded to using an electric blanket. One person did not put the heating up at all, but had “more blankets and a thick cardigan”.
There was an emphasis on using just one room, and turning off heating in other rooms to save on costs. A further reason given for this practice was “I can’t change my provider by myself”.
There was a difference in the experience of winter between those living in any form of sheltered housing and others who live in their own homes. Of people consulted, no concern was expressed over higher heating bills by those living in sheltered housing, whether warden-supported flats or retirement villages, the reason for this being that the cost is included in the rent.
Other self-help actions included:-
· “Go to bed early and lonely and listen to the radio”
· “A drop of brandy/whisky”
· “A nice cup of tea!”
Q1b. Your health:-
When speaking of how they looked after their health, 80% considered a good diet to be of great importance: “hot soups and hot drinks”. 14% stated that they “keep plenty of food in the house”. 2% recommended “food supplements”, “solid food” and “don’t skip meals”.
Food emerged as the most popular answer in connection with health, whilst 44% placed importance on having the “flu jab”. Other comments included “some people won’t [flu jab] due to bad experiences”, and “sometimes I can’t get to my GPs”. Just 2% stated it was important to keep in touch with your doctor and “have a medical check-up every 6 months”. 20% of responses identified exercise as part of a healthy regime. Only 8% mentioned taking extra vitamins and keping extra medicines in the house.
Q1c. Your social life:-
For most it seemed that their social activities changed during winter, for example:
· “I can’t get out to the club”
· “I don’t go out when it’s icy”
· “I become isolated due to dark nights and cold weather”
· “My social life stops when there’s snow and ice”
20% stated that it was most important to keep in touch with family and friends, with more visits from, rather than to, those people.
14% answered that they would go out to groups/lunch clubs, during the winter, “weather permitting”. 8% would do the same things all year round.
Q2. What’s different in winter (for you) as opposed to summer?
Q2a. In your home:-
As expected, most people answered that the biggest difference between summer and winter is the need to use more gas and electric in the winter, causing bigger bills. 83% stated that this is the case, with concern varying according to where they live as stated in Q1a, i.e. sheltered housing, retirement villages or in own home.
27% answered that they stayed indoors due to, for example “dark mornings and nights”, being “unable to sit in the garden” and “it’s colder”.
Some 18% of people consulted made reference to the fact that they keep all doors and windows closed but said that their preference would be ”to have some fresh air in the house”.
Other comments were:-
· “Very little gardening gets done”
· “Dark nights make me irritable and if I didn’t live in the village [reference to a retirement village] they’d be taking me off to the ‘funny farm’”
· “I get fewer visitors”
· “Trips stop in October time. We would have to fend for ourselves in winter if we didn’t live in one of the villages” [reference to retirement villages]
· “I can catch up on my DVDs”
· “I have the heating on plus a heater in my bedroom and I worry if I can afford the bills”
Q2b. Your health:-
40% of feedback referred to their experience around their actual health, in winter as opposed to summer, for example:
· “I get more colds and flu and chesty coughs”
· “More aches and pains”
· “I get more tired”
· “My breathing is much worse so I can’t get out”
· “I take more painkillers”
· “I find it more difficult to control my weight”
There was an overall theme around increased ill-health, with references to a lack of fresh air, the need to keep warm (a general theme throughout) and difficulties around coping with low temperatures. There were also concerns around falling in icy conditions. The general consensus was that people feel much healthier and have fewer concerns in the summer months. One positive feature was cited as “no hay fever!”
Q2c. Your social life:-
When asked how the social aspects of life change in winter, some 72% responded with “I stay in more”, the main reasons for this being not feeling safe out after dark and apprehension about falling. Other statements included:-
· “Outings are restricted according to the weather”
· “Can’t meet with friends for coffee or meals out”
· “I can’t get out into the garden”
· “It’s easier to socialise in the summer, there are more trips out”
· “I read instead”
Some 20% said that there was “no change” for them, everything was “as normal”. Examples include:
· “I try not to hibernate”
· “I’m a member of a number of clubs and usually have some support all year round”
· “There’s much more entertainment in sheltered housing. It would be awful if I lived alone”
Q3. What would help you to make a difference to the way you feel when it’s cold and dark outside?
Q3a. How could this be achieved?:-
When providing feedback to this question some 35% of answers were around needing contact with other people. This could be achieved, or through family and friends visiting, or by phoning friends and family.
14% advocated for activities outside the home and highlighted the need for, and benefits of, local venues, better transport to get there, more support for voluntary groups and being able to make use of community centres.
Example:
· “I need interesting things to do and more social activities”
There were some fears relating to personal safety. 14% had concerns around slips and falls with emphasis on the need for gritting icy surface. A similar number worried about muggings and asked for more Community Police Officers to patrol streets.
The large group at dDeaflinks raised particular local concerns about inadequate street lighting and a poor pavement surface outside their centre in Wellesley Street, Shelton. EngAGE has established that management at dDeaflinks are aware of these issues and have raised them with the appropriate authorities.
Practical approaches to feeling better include:
· “Hot toddies”
· “Do a jigsaw”
· “Do the same things all year round: dancing, keep fit”
A small percentage - 8% of over 50s who were involved - felt that they needed no help. They referred to “helping yourself” and “getting through it” (winter) with one person stating “most older people live on their own”.
Surprisingly, “cheaper fuel costs” was not high on the agenda within the responses to this question. Only a small sample of people referred to this.
Q3b. Who could help?:-
A majority of people [60%] believed that family and friends could be a great help, but with some acknowledgement of this not being an option for all.