People across Dumfries and Galloway urged to take simple steps towards aging well in May
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Do YOU have trouble using apps for parking and NHS appointments? Campaigners call for offline options
Millions of older people hardly ever or never use the internet and could struggle with everyday tasks like paying for parking and getting NHS appointments, warns Age UK. The charity has heard from people who had difficulty applying for a Blue Badge, which gives access to special parking bays and pick-up points if you are disabled or have a health condition affecting mobility. It handed a 170,000-strong petition to 10 Downing Street earlier this week asking the Government to ensure older people aren't left behind by 'digital first' policies. Age UK says it wants a 'clear guarantee' that all public services, including the NHS and local councils, will offer offline alternatives. That could include in person services or assisted access for older people who can't or won't go online. One in five or around 2.4million people aged 65-plus use the internet less than once a month or not at all, according to Age UK research. The charity found that rose to 32 per cent for older Black people, 30 per cent for those living alone, 26 per cent for older Asian people, and 22 per cent for older women or those struggling financially. Some 31 per cent or 4million older people said they had poor IT skills, and 22 per cent or 2.9million said lack of trust in the internet was why they didn't go online. Age UK's latest survey found 12 per cent of over-65s don't use a mobile phone and 33 per cent don't use a smartphone. And 7 per cent had reduced their previous internet use over the past year, reflecting how people might stop using it as they become older and less able. The charity says it is concerned 'digital first' policies mean people will struggle to manage their own finances and healthcare as they age. It is calling for the following from the Government. - A guarantee all public services, including the NHS and local councils, will offer and promote affordable, easy offline ways to reach and use them. - The NHS Ten Year Plan, which aims to 'shift from analogue to digital', will factor in the needs of older people who are not online. - More funding and support for people who are not computer users but want to get online, targeted especially at areas of deprivation. - The Digital Inclusion Action Plan will support those who will never be online, or who cannot use the internet safely and successfully. - The Government will protect access to cash and banking by requiring banks to maintain face-to-face services, and ensuring people can carry on buying essential goods and services with cash. 'I have given up on trying to get doctor appointments' Sue, 73, from London, has very poor eyesight and cannot use computers or smartphones. She says: 'Everything is online these days. Trying to deal with some local authorities is an absolute nightmare if you don't have people around you who can do it for you. 'I shouldn't have to do that. I shouldn't have to give someone my personal information. I want to be treated equally.' Mike, 76, says: 'The stress and frustration of trying to operate online - I simply go round in circles and it is very upsetting. It all makes me feel rejected and excluded.' Janet, 74, says: 'I have given up on trying to get doctor appointments, so now just don't bother. 'Since I had a total knee replacement two months ago, I had to do without any pain relief at all as I could not contact them. 'And as my mobility is now severely restricted, I cannot visit them, so I just don't go.' If you find it difficult to use online services or know someone who doesn't go on the internet, Age UK has help available - check its Digital Champions service here or call 0800 169 6565. What does the Government say? 'We recognise that older people are more likely to be digitally excluded, which is why through our Digital Inclusion Action Plan we are ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age, whatever their age.' says a Government spokesperson. 'Under the Plan, major companies are helping people to get online and are donating pre-loved tech to those who need it. 'We are clear that digital public services need to be accessible - meaning there should always be alternative options like over the phone or in-person support, for those that need it. 'We also welcome action industry have taken to ensure 99 per cent of the UK now has access to a range of social broadband and mobile tariffs, starting from as low as £10 per month.' 'Some feel belittled and unfairly bullied into going online' Technology is set to transform our lives for the better and the potential of the NHS App is 'truly exciting' but we must ensure no one is left behind, says Age UK's charity director Caroline Abrahams. 'Through our petition, older people who aren't able or choose not to be online told us they were deeply worried about being locked out of the essential services they depend on. 'Some said that they felt belittled and unfairly bullied into going online and that this, plus a frequent failure on the part of organisations of all kinds to offer them easily accessible alternatives, was positively ageist. 'Whether you agree with that or not, there's no doubt in our minds at Age UK that a poorly planned and delivered transition to digital by default would pose very real risks to the health, wellbeing, finances and inclusion of millions of older people.' Abrahams says the Government's commitment to a digitally inclusive approach is really important to build public trust and ensure the NHS promise to be equally accessible to all continues to hold true. 'Some people will always be offline or only very basic users, for all kinds of different reasons. However inconvenient this reality may be, we have to factor it into how we design services. 'In some cases, for example, it may be possible to develop tech-based approaches that do not depend on an individual older person having to manipulate them themselves.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists pinpoint the exact age where the body begins to break down - as one vital body system rapidly deteriorates
A recent study has suggested that we begin seriously aging as young as 30—with scientists pinpointing that this is the age that our bodies begin to break down. Chinese researchers analysed 516 tissue samples from 76 organ donors between the ages of 14 and 68 over five decades. They found that while we first start to notice changes at around 30, it isn't between 45 and 55 that the changes really begin to ramp up. The study authors said they observed a sharp increase in the aging process at the age of 50. Previously, scientists discovered that proteins linked to disease in the body increase in number as we age. These troublesome proteins were linked to life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, tissue fibrosis and liver-related tumours. The latest findings suggest these proteins strikingly increased as the age of deceased organ donors went up. The adrenal gland—which is located in the top of the kidneys and releases hormones vital for regulating bodily functions—began showing changes in protein levels as early as 30. However, aging isn't truly felt until between the ages of 45 and 55, because this is when the proteins increase rapidly across several organ systems. The organ that took the most dramatic hit was the aorta, the heart's largest artery which is responsible for pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. They found blood vessels were particularly vulnerable to early signs of aging. This, they believe, is due to the organs seeing a rise in the levels of a protein called GAS6 responsible for cell growth, survival and migration. The researchers believe the presence of this protein may play a vital role in triggering aging in our bodies. But they also suggested their findings could provide insight to help improve the health of older adults. 'These insights may facilitate the development of targeted interventions for aging and age-related diseases, paving the way to improve the health of older adults,' said the study authors. It follows a study recently published in the medical journal Nature, that looked at the link between 'youthful' organs and longevity. By measuring certain protein strands in the blood, researchers were able to determine that organs can age at different rates, even when inside the same person. An older biological age of organs was linked to heart failure, progressive lung disease COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, having a 'youthful' brain 'provided protection' from cognitive decline and lifestyle changes can help. They study suggested that a routine of vigorous exercise, a diet rich in poultry and oily fish, and keeping your intellect sharp with further education can help. Meanwhile, smoking, alcohol, eating processed meat, a lack of sleep, and living in a deprived area accelerated organ aging. Just earlier this month, a fitness guru shared five simple at-home tests that can reveal how well your aging. The quick tests check for 'balance, strength and flexibility', which PT Caroline Idiens, 52, from Berkshire, England hailed as vital to aging well. They include standing on one leg, doing a plank, standing from seated in a chair, squatting and pressing with water bottles for weights, and twisting a towel. If getting out of a chair makes you go 'oof', she warned in an article by The Telegraph, 'it's time to start future-proofing your body'.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Millions of elderly Brits without a smartphone or internet getting 'left behind' in digital age
Millions of elderly Britons without a smartphone or access to the internet are being 'left behind' by an increasingly digital world, new research warns. Almost one in five - or 2.4 million - older people have limited use of the internet and use it less than once a month or not at all, according to Age UK. New research for the charity shows that 12 per cent of older people - equivalent to 1.6 million - don't use a mobile phone at all and 4.3 million older people don't use a smartphone. Meanwhile 22 per cent of older people - equivalent to 2.9 million - said that lack of trust in the internet was a reason for them not going online. And 31 per cent - or 4 million elderly people - said that poor IT skills prevented them from using the internet. Age UK will tomorrow deliver a 173,949 strong petition to Downing Street calling on the Government to ensure there is guarantee of offline alternatives to all public services, including the NHS and local authorities, to 'make sure older people are not left behind'. Seventy-three-year-old Sue, from London, told the charity that problems with her eyesight make using computers or smartphones impossible. 'Everything is online these days,' she said. 'Trying to deal with some local authorities is an absolute nightmare if you don't have people around you who can do it for you.' While Janet, 74, said: 'I have given up on trying to get Dr appointments, so now just don't bother. 'Since I had a total knee replacement two months ago, I had to do without any pain relief at all as I could not contact them. And as my mobility is now severely restricted, I cannot visit them, so I just don't go.' The charity said it is concerned that a 'digital first' approach, with insufficient offline alternatives available, will see older people struggling to manage their own finances and healthcare as they age. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: 'It's clear that technology is set to transform many aspects of our lives for the better over the next decade, including the delivery of healthcare and how we interact with the NHS. 'But we must also ensure that no one is left behind, including the many millions of older people who are not online and who often want and need to use more traditional means of communication, such as telephone and face to face.' She added: 'For the foreseeable future there will be a need for good offline alternatives and the Government must ensure they are put in place in every essential service on which older people rely.'
