About retirement – sugar in first cup but not the second and other tales of frugality

When I first began this blog, my older cousin Howard agreed to pen a few missives about what it was actually like to be retired. His column ended up running to over 70 posts and rather ironically he has now “retired” from this activity to pursue other writing opportunities. Here is one of my favourite posts. 

Dear Philippa,  

Featured in new Tomorrow Together campaign

I was really pleased to be asked contribute a blog post to the new website, Tomorrow Together launched last week by the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. 

According to findings released by the Technology Strategy Board, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

In my blog I have shared some of my thoughts about how I think we go about encouraging better design for older people, drawing on my experience of running the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of Brighton.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Do you agree? Get involved by visiting  www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

“Trip Advisor” for independent living products? Download the report

You may recall that last October I reported the launch at Naidex South by the Years Ahead Partnership and Newcastle University of a feasibility study into a scheme for rating assistive technology.

Demographic changes and pressure on public finances are leading to radical changes in the statutory provision of simple assistive technology. Simple aids for daily living – such as walking sticks, mobility aids, tools for arthritic fingers and swollen feet – are now increasingly appearing in a variety of existing and new channels. You only need to look in the small ads of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

However, there are challenges to the emerging market. Public awareness of the existence and benefits of simple living aids is low, the take up is limited by stigma and negative associations of old age and disability. And healthcare professionals are nervous about such developments – not surprisingly given the Office of Fair Trading’s recent investigation into unscrupulous traders taking advantage of ill-informed consumers.

This joint study looked into the feasibility of a consumer-led product rating system which would raise awareness, improve customer confidence, help de-stigmatise the products and offer re-assurance to professionals.

The majority of people surveyed were in favour of an online consumer rating model with a panel or accreditation system to provide further rigour. A kind of “Trip-advisor” for assistive technology and living aids.

We were one of the organisations consulted as part of the study and share Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead’s view that “such a scheme has a vital part to play in empowering us all as consumers of [Assistive Technology], designed to help us live our lives to the full into great old age”.

And wearing our designer hats, we believe too that such a scheme will also encourage designers, manufacturers and retailers to really focus on the consumer – and this means producing and selling products which are well designed, innovative and attractive as well as functional.

The next stage for the “Raising the Standard” team is further research and consultation about the design of the rating scheme.  We will keep you posted.

YOU CAN NOW DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE (Click on Download) 

Image  - ShowerSandal 

Tomorrow Together – join in the conversation about re-imagining the future

Something very exciting happened yesterday. I was sat around a table at the RSA in London as one of a panel of  experts talking about what it means to get older and what products and services would allow us all to do that well. And then, this is the exciting bit, how we might go about achieving that aim.

The roundtable discussion was organised to kick off a new initiative from the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board called Tomorrow Together which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. The panellists included Nigel Campbell and Mat Hunter from the Design Council, Geraldine Bedell, editor of Gransnet, Denise Anstey, British inventor, Stephen Burke of United for All Ages and Kevin Johnson from Cisco.

According to findings released today, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

The good news is that what became apparent from the discussion last night was that there are already very many passionate people engaged in innovating in this area. In the UK we certainly do not lack the skills or creativity to bring forward new products and services, more it is about bringing together the people, the businesses and the institutions to work together in a more focused way. And also about persuading those who have not yet embraced the challenges and opportunities of our ageing population to get on board.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

As someone who has been working for a while now with some of our most talented and passionate brains at the University of Brighton, I wholeheartedly endorse this view.

I think this is a very opportune time to launch Tomorrow Together but it will only make a difference if we all join in the conversation and discuss how we can all work together in the UK to imagine and then help create a better future

So please do get involved at www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

Exciting stuff.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Image: Displacement Jug by Sophia Fong

Is this the definitive list of stylish yet comfortable shoes?

One of the biggest gripes I have heard about getting older is finding shoes that not only fit well but are fashionable and stylish.

Here are a few suggestions which have come my way. Is this the definitive list of women’s shoes or do you have some more favourites?

1. Marks & Spencer Footglove range

These are a firm favourite. Comfortable shoes in smart designs at reasonable prices.   http://www.marksandspencer.com

2. Hotter

Hotter shoes are made by a family company in Lancashire and are all about “delivering comfort and style”.  They are only available online but offer free exchanges if you get the wrong size http://www.hottershoes.com/

3. FitFlops

Recommended to me by a friend awaiting a foot operation, FitFlops are part of the new wave of footwear promising exercise whilst you walk. FitFlop sandals wearers have apparently also reported relief from plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, chronic back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, RLS (restless leg syndrome), scoliosis and degenerative disc disease. I’ve not tried them myself but they may be worth checking out if you have problem feet. http://www.fitflop.com/page/home/

4. Wolky

This is a Dutch company (which delivers to the UK) and its shoes are not cheap – but they are by far the most fashionable range of designs I have seen for so-called “comfort” shoes (shouldn’t they all be?!).  And their boots look great too. https://secure.wolkyshop.com/

5. Josef Seibel

Shoes which I am told are “stylish – no good for wearing with a floaty summer skirt, but look great with a denim or cord skirt. Soooo comfortable too” http://www.josefseibel.co.uk/  They have just opened a flagship store at 37 Neal Street, London and two factory stores at The Bishops Centre, Taplow and Meadowland Retail Park, March.

6. Duo

Specialises in “well fitting shoes” and offers sizes 2-9 in 3 foot widths and 3 fitted boots styles available in foot size 2-9 and in up to 21 calf fittings http://www.duoboots.com/products/shoes/

7. Crocs

Some of you love ‘em, others loathe ’em  http://www.crocs.co.uk/

8. Cinderella Shoes

An independent company run by Gina Hennessy  which carries a variety of styles ranging from size 8½ – 12 and more importantly different width fittings. ww.cinderellashoes.ie  

9. Katie Long Shoes

Also caters for women’s larger shoe sizes (from 7) and has a selection of wide fittings- www.katielongshoes.co.uk .  For bigger sizes, try also www.amberandjade.com

10. Large Size Designer Shoes 

Specialises in sizes 6-11 www.large-size-designer-shoes.com

So, is the ultimate list or have we missed some? Where did you buy your favourite pair of shoes from?  Let us know.

With thanks also to http://www.womensthoughts.co.uk/ for their suggestions.

Design for all – by law? Nice feature on us in today’s Yours magazine

I am really pleased to see Yours magazine today engaging its readers in the debate about design for all (and not just because I am quoted with lovely photos of our double handled teapot and mug!).

Editor Valerie McConnell recounts her recent trip to her local gym where although pleasantly surprised by her results on the treadmill, she found herself wrestling with a hard to squeeze shampoo bottle. 

As Valerie says: “Do you wish everyday objects could be designed to be easy to use as well as look good?”

I think they should :”Why should age mean life has to be less attractive? “Easy to use” products can often be stigmatising, which makes them less desirable and reduces the likelihood that they will ever be used. How many abdandoned, ugly plastic “reachers litter the homes of our older people?”

There is fortunately, as Valerie points out, a growing movement towards inclusive design which means that “everything from jam jar lids to public spaces should be designed to be equally useable by everybody”.

And to encourage this movement further, Valerie goes on to pose the question – given the increasing numbers of older people and their considerable combined spending power, should all designers be forced by law to make products accessible?

This is a really good question and it will be interesting to see what Yours readers think. And how fantastic that they are being asked in the first place as innovation in this area has the potential to transform all of our lives.

What to do when someone dies

A while back I was talking to a good friend about looking after older people and it occurred to me that I had no  idea what to do if the worst happened and someone died. My friend, who knows about these things, offered to jot down a few pointers. Here is what she said.

1. Directgov – One of the great things about the internet is that information is available 24 hours a day.  Directgov, the government website, has a very comprehensive list of everything you’ll need to do, from registering the death and arranging the funeral to contacting all the people you have to inform.  You can even print out a checklist.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/WhatToDoAfterADeath/DG_10029808

There’s also information on the Citizens Advice Bureau website www.adviceguide.org.uk

2.  Death Certificate – You’ll get more information when you go and register the death.  In England and Wales you’ll get a copy of the very useful booklet “What to do after a death”.  You’ll also get a chance to buy multiple copies of the death certificate – it’s cheaper to do this at the time of registering than later on.   The more complicated the financial affairs of the person who died were, the more certificates you’ll need.

3.  Make notes- As well as the check list, you’ll need somewhere to write things down.  Get a notebook and keep a list of questions as they occur to you; this will make things easier when you’re dealing with the funeral director, for example.  If lots of family members are making suggestions about the funeral write them down too so they’re not forgotten when you’re making decisions.

4.  One step at a time – Take things one step at a time.  Even if you’ve got a long list of things you need to do, don’t feel it all has to be done at once. Registering the death and arranging the funeral will be your first priorities.  Things like sorting out a will or intestacy will be important too, but they do not need to be dealt with immediately.

5. Do think about car insurance – while other financial paperwork can wait a few days, if the policy holder died you should contact the insurance company even if the person wanting to use the car was a named driver.

6. Funeral directors – Nowadays many people who are arranging a funeral will have had little experience of dealing with arrangements after a death before.  Funeral directors are used to this and are happy to guide you through the process and answer any questions.

7.  Choice – However, do remember that you don’t have to use a funeral director if you don’t want to, and if you do, you don’t have to arrange a funeral in the way that they or indeed anyone else thinks is “proper”.  As well as religious funerals you may wish to consider a humanist ceremony.  A more recent idea is the civil funeral; this is a service provided by local councils in the same way as weddings and civil partnerships.

8.   Trade associations – You should bear in mind that funeral directors are running a business and selling you a service; it’s quite all right to discuss prices or look for the best value for money, or just wish to do things simply. When choosing a funeral director, check that they belong to a trade association, such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). This requires them to provide full information about their service and prices.

9.  Post - Receiving post addressed to someone who has died can be very distressing.  The Deceased Preference Service (www.deceasedpreferenceservice.co.uk) is a means by which you can alert organisations that carry out mass mailings to amend their records; this will stop most personally addressed, unsolicited mailings and help combat identity fraud. It will not apply to official communications such as tax returns, bank statements, bills or premium bonds etc. and because mailings are printed in advance it may take a month or two for them to stop completely. 

10. Think about it in advance.  No-one likes talking about death, but finding out a bit about how to deal with the practicalities and talking to your family about what you and they would like to happen can give great peace of mind at a very difficult time.  Sometimes a death is expected, but sadly it can come as a complete shock. 

One last piece of advice – back up your digital photos! We all value our memories of family members or friends, and photographs are for most of us a vital part of that.  Many people now only have digital photographs stored on a computer, but those of us who use computers all the time but don’t upload every photo we take onto Facebook can be very vulnerable.  Laptops can be stolen, desktop computers can break down leaving data unrecoverable and there are sad cases where people who are bereaved also lose all their digital photographs.  Think about getting some photos printed out or upload them to an online storage website like Photobox or Snapfish.

Image – Living Memorial Stone by Craig Barrow

Three ways to engage older people with social media

I have come across three projects recently which set out to engage older people with this new thing called social media.

Last week I wrote about Diane Atkinson’s SKYPE project which aims to introduce older internet newbies to the possibilities of communicating wth relatives and friends using SKYPE.

One of the entries to the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of Brighton last summer was student Jono Redden’s project called “Pets“.  Jono was exploring the idea of loneliness amongst older people. “Pets” are are lighting fixtures designed to evoke the shapes of domestic pets such as cats. They are connected to the internet and in particular social media sites and as the number of friends who come online increases, the brighter the light shines reminding users of a world (albeit virtual) outside the isolation of their own home.  This was the first time I have seen the virtual online world made manifest in this way.  A really interesting idea.

This week I was contacted by the people behind Hugmail, a new app and online service specifically created to help make it easier for different family generations to keep in touch. 

Aran Potkin of Hugmail explains that : “Driven by the knowledge that 40% of grandparents live over an hour away from their grandchildren, many struggle to see their family as often as they would like. A lot of grandparents and older relatives also miss out on a lot of family news and photos because they don’t own smartphones and aren’t on Facebook or email. 

That’s why we created Hugmail – the message service that turns digital photos stored on your mobile, Facebook or computer and sends them as postcards anywhere in the world for £1.49.” 

As a product Hugmail is not so different from online greeting card retailers such as Moonpig but it is unique in focussing on the older market and in particular, the challenge of keeping families connected where not everyone is online. I do like the postcard format – there’s something very cheering about receiving a postcard and many are artworks in their own right. And it is a very quick and simple way to keep in touch.

 It does strike me, however, that the older person need not always be the recipient. An increasing number of older people are online (see our Facebook page). And I think Hugmail would also be a great way for grandparents to keep in touch with their grandchildren by sending them postcards, maybe as reminders of the days out they have shared, which would be lovely keepsakes for those children as they get older.

The Jigsaw Club – older people doing it for themselves

Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Eve, my friend now in her 90s, who is tackling getting older with considerable aplomb.

This week I learnt of her latest project. Eve was speaking to a friend who runs a charity shop which had a great many donated jigsaws. Whilst the jigsaws were popular, the volunteers simply did not have time to check that all the pieces of each puzzle were in the box so the jigsaws often languished in the stock room.

Up steps Eve who suggests that she could get together a group of friends who would happily check and complete the jigsaws so as to enable them to be sold.  And so the Jigsaw Club was born.

Once a week Eve and her friends get together over a cup of tea and do jigsaws -  not only does it help the charity, the activity, as Eve says ”keeps both brain and fingers moving”.

What a lovely idea  – and a win, win for everyone involved.

Introducing older people to the wonders of SKYPE

Just before Christmas I heard of an interesting project to demonstrate the benefits of SKYPE  to residents of local retirement homes.

As Diane Atkinson of Cressida (www.cressidasolutions.com) explains: “ We take our laptops into local retirement homes to show the residents how wonderful SKYPE  is.  We do all the hard work, the retired person just sits in front of the laptop at the appointed time, they do not touch the laptop, they do not need to learn how to use it, we do it all and they just sit and talk to relatives and friends anywhere in the world. 

We have such fun practising with them, having them SKYPE other residents in different rooms and pretending they are in Australia (last time we did it, as well as discussing the weather in Australia, the talk was about Barbies and mankinis!!)  It is such a laugh.

We know from experience that elderly people love talking to their relatives and seeing them on screen is such a treat for them. Certainly with grandchildren, it’s probably the only way they will communicate! 

It is also easier for relatives and friends far away to see their loved ones.  Perhaps due to work commitments or family they cannot visit every week, so this is a way for them to see their loved ones and by seeing them can detect things that cannot be seen speaking over a phone line.” 

The project is not without its challenges, however, Diane has told me that it can be difficult to get hold of the details (email addresses/SKYPE name/phone numbers) of the relatives far away, who would benefit from this service. Also with the time difference, there are three different time slots, mornings to speak to Australians etc, evenings to speak to UK/European working people and Sunday afternoons to speak with Americans etc.. 

I think this is a really worthwhile project. Most retirement homes have someone who comes in every week to help residents use their own computer; this is a service for those who do not own a computer and have no wish to learn how to use one, but are able to video link with their relatives and friends.  Not only are older people being encouraged to use technology and get on line, but most importantly it sounds like good fun for everyone involved.

For more information about SKYPE, CLICK HERE