Author: Paul Goulden

Paul has been our Chief Executive since November 2016.
Blame of older people

Older people are always to blame aren’t they?

Paul GouldenAgeism

“…The second challenge is to call out those people who use criticising older people by blaming them, as ammunition in political arguments or just simply to get attention. I used the word “lazy” earlier on because it is true – it is so easy to categorise a group in society and blame them (and to be fair, young people get a rough deal thought this too), and social media tends to magnify these views in a way that has never been possible before. It is easy and lazy to do, but just perpetuates division rather than promoting the positive.”

It seems to be the eternal default position to automatically blame older people for the world’s ills. Our CEO Paul Goulden shows why it shouldn’t be this way.

Theresa May NHS 10 year plan

NHS 10 Year Plan – Some Progress but There’s Something Missing

Paul GouldenLondon

“Prevention is key theme of the Plan, although it focuses specifically on 5 areas – smoking, obesity, alcohol, air pollution and anti-microbial resistance. But even this is a huge step forward in challenging the “treatment” model that the NHS is built on – dealing with what the patient presents as a problem. It also talks about individuals playing their part in achieving health outcomes, which is also welcome. The NHS needs to work “with” patients not “on” them.”

The NHS 10 Year Plan features some great leaps forward, but there’s something missing. Our CEO Paul Goulden explains why we should be pleased and what needs to change.

resilience

Resilience and Self Care

Paul GouldenCare

Later life should be a time of enjoyment and growth, but with cuts in local authority spending on older people and continuing pressures on the NHS, the picture often painted is a bleak one. In recent years resilience and self-care have become buzzwords around older peoples services, but are they just code for “cuts”, or is there something more to this movement? If we know what ageing well might look like, what can we put in place in the way of resilience and self-care that can make that a reality?

Our CEO Paul Goulden investigates resilience and self-care – what we can do for older people in our community, and what barriers need to be overcome.

Fall prevention

Falls Prevention – Some Practical Steps

Paul GouldenAccessibility

This week on the blog, we’re looking into falls prevention. But first of all, here are some scary statistics: One third of people over the age of 65 fall every year Falls are leading cause of injury in older adults Over 400,000 older people attend Accident and Emergency Departments annually as a result of falls So why do we need to look at falls prevention? Clearly with the emphasis in the health service of reducing unplanned admissions, falls represent a huge area for improvement, and one that would have a massive impact on a stretched NHS. But the consequences of […]

A person casting their vote

You and Your Vote are Important!

Paul GouldenCampaigns

“Maybe no-one has said this to you for a while but it’s true – if you are reading this then you are either over 60, or interested in the issues surrounding the over 60s and how to make things better in later life. That means that for Age UK London, you are very important!”

Our CEO Paul Goulden outlines a number of ways to make your voice heard in the coming months…

Jeremy Hunt Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care – Together at Last!

Paul GouldenCare

“The benefits of looking at an older person’s health and social care needs are clear. If an older person continually goes to the doctor with conditions that just don’t seem to improve, the doctor may not know that this person is having to make daily choices on heating their home or buying food. Similarly a social worker may find a client confused or unsteady on their feet, not knowing that the GP has changed their medication.”

Following the Cabinet Reshuffle, our CEO Paul Goulden analyses the new position of Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and discusses the ways in which this could impact upon the lives of older Londoners.

technology future's bright

Technology – The Future’s Bright… but for Whom?

Paul GouldenCare

I went to a breakfast briefing by Windsor Leadership Trust on the future impact of technology. The key speaker was Dr Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist and editor of a forth-coming book, “Megatech” looking at the world in 2050.

It was fascinating stuff, including his list of ten imagined companies who are going to be integral to our lives in the future – but what are the implications for older people?

Ideas Are Cheap – Volunteers Aren’t…

Paul GouldenVolunteering

I’ve previously praised the care minister, Norman Lamb, for saying that we need to look at the care in the home provided by care agencies – but today’s report, that he thinks Neighbourhood Watch should be involved in helping with the care of older people, nearly had me causing a motorway pile-up. Now I’ll start by saying that Neighbourhood Watch are a great organisation and good at doing what they do. They are strong here in Bexley and are an excellent example of community minded people giving up their time to keep neighbourhoods safe. So why did others drivers see […]