Building a good life for older people in local communities: the experience of ageing in time and place

BUILDING A GOOD LIFE FOR OLDER PEOPLE IN LOCAL
COMMUNITIES: THE EXPERIENCE OF AGEING IN TIME AND
PLACE

M Godfrey, J Townsend, and T Tenby

Joseph Rowntree Foundation

ISBN 1859352340, £9.95

Star Rating 4/5

In The Good Life television series back in the 1970s, Tom and
Barbara Good turned a suburban back garden into a self-sufficient
allotment, much to the consternation of their status-conscious
neighbours.

Newly published research indicates that for older people the
question of a good life is far from a matter of entertainment,
writes Bernard Moss.

This report, based on research with two groups of older people in
Hartlepool and the ethnically diverse city of Leeds, posed
questions such as “What makes for a ‘good life’ in old age?”

Findings stressed that old age is not just about decline, but in
seizing opportunities and actively managing transition and loss.
Being part of a community of mutual care, where older people are
valued, is vital. Services need to reflect older people’s values,
and their desire to lead “ordinary lives” where their preferences
are respected.

Leeds and Hartlepool have local community networks to support and
engage older people; the key theme is partnership, not imposed
services. Social workers know the importance of this, of course,
but do we practise it ?

Bernard Moss is national teaching fellow, Staffordshire
University

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