Caithness Older People's Get-Together

3rd March 2019

Caithness Older People's Get-Together
Facilitated by Highland Senior Citizens Network & Age Scotland
Tuesday 2nd April 2019, 10.30am - 2pm (lunch from 1pm)
The Pentland Hotel, Princes Street, Thurso, Caithness KW14 7AA

Please join us for the Caithness Older People's Groups Get-together; giving older people, representatives from older people's groups and organisations supporting older people, the opportunity to come together in Caithness to share news, discuss common interests, get information about activities and services, and plan future developments.

We would like to invite you/members of your group to come along to the next gathering, which will take place on Tuesday 2nd April at The Pentland Hotel, Princes Street, Thurso. If you know of any other older people who would be interested in attending please pass on the invitation.

Tea/coffee will be available on arrival from 10.00am, with the day starting at 10.30am. A soup and sandwich lunch will be served at 1pm.

To link in with the HSCN Annual Conference on the 24th April we will be looking at Age Friendly Communities; taking about intergenerational activities, Technology Enabled Care, dementia friendly communities and keeping active. We will finish at 1pm for lunch, and the chance of a blether.

We look forward to seeing you/members of your group on the 2nd April. Could you please confirm your attendance, and any dietary requirements you may have to: heather.baillie@agescotland.org.uk or  01563 528441, giving names of attendees for the Get-Together by Wednesday 27th March.

Thank you.


Heather Baillie
National Community Development Officer
Age Scotland

Anne McDonald
Co-ordinator
Highland Senior Citizens Network

Programme

Caithness Older People's Groups Get-together
Tuesday 2nd April
The Pentland Hotel, WIck
10.30am - 1pm


10.00 - 10.30 Registration / tea and coffee

10.30 - 10.35 Welcome

10:35 - 11.30 Information Share / What's New with you
Come along and let us know your news
News from HSCN, Age Scotland and local service providers

11.30 - 12.45 Age Friendly Caithness
Intergenerational activities, Technology Enabled Care, keeping active for all ages, Dementia Friendly Communities...

12.45 – 1 Feedback and conclusions

1 Close (You are welcome to join us for lunch and a blether)

1 – 2 Lunch (and a blether)

Notes from the previous meeting

Caithness Older People's Groups Get-together Report
Tuesday 11th September 2018 The Norseman Hotel, Wick

The fourth Caithness Older People’s Groups Get-together took place at The Norseman Hotel, Wick. 22 people attended, representing 11 groups and service providers. Starting with updates from older people, we then heard from local services, Age Scotland and HSCN. The focus for this meeting was health and social care, with presentations on the Re-design of NHS care in Caithness, Caithness Community Partnership and Scottish Care, Care at Home. Round table discussions ensured everyone had the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

Thoughts of the day. Average scores from 1 for poor to 10 for excellent: Satisfaction:9
Accessibility: 9 Networking: 9 Presentations: 9 Update/info: 9 Catering: 9 Venue: 9

General feedback was very positive: Never disappointed with your meetings
Informative - Well-presented and interesting. Guest speakers were very informative. They answered the questions put to them very well. Plenty of new information
Useful - Beneficial, Always useful to come along and network, Has been very helpful

Reasons for attending: I hoped to expand my knowledge about local issues, I did.
Information - both for older people about services, and services looking for information about issues facing older people: Informed of any new initiatives, new/up to date literature, information about the NHS re-organisation in Caithness, information about the Care Village, learning more about what is available, a better understanding of issues facing our senior citizens. Good information about the community partnership.
Network with different organisations. The opportunity to network.
Never quite sure, but I’m always pleased with the results

Venue - Very nice venue in the Norseman however, there was a comment about poor lighting and distracting noise from other connected rooms.

What will you do as a result of today?
Take note of all meetings in the community / Attend any further meetings held locally
Engage in redesign and partnership / Encourage people to read and comment on the redesign / Will keep my ear to the ground for information about how the NHS re-development is progressing / Get involved with Community Planning Partnership
Make contact with a number of those attending
Keep updated
Contact the Haven for help
Promote the Veterans support available

What’s New with You? News from Older People and local services....
Council tenant participation: Wick interested Tenants Group. Orkney tenants exchange networking event. Scrutinising elements of housing service. Visit to Ark housing Centre. Sheltered Housing tenants networking in Cromarty. Chair of Scrutiny Group - look at how to make services better. Communications Group - Communications between council and tenants/
Bullying in Community Centre - what can be done about it? Suggestions included contact Advocacy Highland, HSCN to raise as a collective advocacy issue. Look at the set of group rules that The Haven, Mental Health Support Group, has; and see if these could be used.
Communications tips – give positive examples of good communication. Inclusive.
Welcoming - Put card through doors of new neighbours.

What’s New with You? News from older people’s services and organisations…
Age Scotland: Helpline. Publications - from calls to helpline
Network meetings - info stalls in Kingussie - interest in that type of event in Caithness?
Age Scotland Veterans Project: Steve Henderson, Age Scotland Veterans Project
1 years on - 3150 veterans supported across Scotland. Partnership of 15 organisations supporting veterans over 65 across Scotland.
Highland Senior Citizens Network: Report on last get-together. Links with the Community partnerships and NHS re-design. Activities included SOPA visit to Nairn and Dingwall, encouraging uptake of SDS by Older People, Care home resident involvement and Service User feedback through Outcome Stars and group consultation.
CVG - Support community org’s throughout Caithness. Caithness Rural Transport
Befriending - approx 70 volunteers. High school kids to hospital and care homes
Kirsteen Campbell, LGOWIT – support groups for people with Long term health conditions. New course to starting in October. Living Better groups in PPP and Thurso
United Reform Church. Boccia Tornament in Strathpeffer. History Pilot
Hannah Maclean, CMHN - Older Adults Network Meeting trialed an older adult info day 2 years ago. Lots of work and lots of information, but only 5 people attended.
Lorna, Tenant Participation Officer, successful event in Dingwall for tenants.
We then heard from invited speakers:
Modernising Health and Social Care Services in Caithness, Michelle Johnstone, NHS Area Manager and Penny Cormack, PPP Wick Presentation on the redesign process, the consultation and the different options that are being considered. Encouraged people to give their views.

Group discussion – points and questions, answers in italics
Information about the Re-design is being sent to every household in Caithness.
How long will it take after a decision is made? 3 to 4 years for building works. Depending on site chosen, elements can start a.s.a.p.
Transport issues - public transport availability? Parking? Bus stop outside PPP. Will look at suitability of bus routes
How will people get to the new Hubs? Pultney is ‘hell of a walk’. Many older people have trouble getting onto the bus. Will carry out a survey with GP practices before the end of the process to ask people about transport issues.
If trouble staffing the Dunbar, how will they get staff for the new Hub? Will consolidate existing staff - care at home, Bayview and Integrated Team
Will outlying GP practices have to use the new Hub? No
A Hub is a central point that things go out from.
Can’t keep both Pulney Town and Dunbar.
There is a problem with a shortage of doctors, particular issue for mental health services. Looking at mental health services…problem with having to use locums. Not sure what you are getting.
Haven, voluntary run, open 365 days a year. Drop in. Behind the railway station.
Told by receptionist at the Mental Health Unit that they are not taking on any new patients.
Is there expansion room at Pultney House? Yes
If the Hub is at PPP, what is the future of the Town and County? Would be utilised by other NHS services. Clinical services that are not 24/7. 3rd sector.

Caithness Community Partnership Roy Kirk, Joining of 5 agencies to plan around inequality agenda. HIE, police, NHS Highland, Fire and Highland Council. Child and Adult Plans for areas. No new money. 4 main areas in Caithness: Wick, Thurso, Castletown, Lybster and Dunbeath. Issues: Transport, Connectivity, Jobs, Housing, Child Care. Want comment and contribution.

Group discussion – points and questions, answers in italics
People did not feel informed about the Community Partnership. Website is not currently up to date. Should have agenda beforehand /online. Information needs to be in other places too - advert in the local press.
Accessibility of meetings. How to get to the hard to reach people, who are often those most effected by inequality. Need for Community Champions.
Time of the meeting difficult. Keep in touch, people engage but don’t physically get to the meetings
Lack of engagement with local community. All meetings should be accessible to the public. Use the Tenants Participation Group. PPP lunch club run by Jennifer Harvey at 12 on Wednesday, with 6 to 30 people attending. Ideal place for a presentation about the Community Partnership. Should have ‘big meeting’ in each area, also smaller meetings in the 4 localities being targeted.
Lack of young adult activities, particularity for those with conditions (ADHD etc)
Increasing number of people with dementia in community:
Lack of training for shops etc
Become isolated very quickly due to lack of services
Lack of services / care for advanced dementia patients
Families asked to provide additional care due to lack of care
Inappropriate options of respite care - where and when
Housing options:
Accessibility and space of council properties
People become trapped and isolated in their own homes
Neighbours causing issues
Lybster; No activities for children, no youth groups

Care at Home Development Officer, Scottish Care, Julie Fraser: Role is to build, develop and sustain a Care at Home market. How do we provide the care people need? About having the services that people need to let them do want they want, stay at home despite the remote and rural aspects of Caithness. What do people need in each area? Link between NHS Highland and care providers. SDS should result in more personalised care. Vision of care in Highland - Care Villages.

Group discussion – points and questions, answers in italics
In many areas currently not enough care, families having to provide care for 6 months, told they will just have to wait for support. If can’t provide care now, how can we do it around the clock? Developing over 2 years. Easier if staff are all based in 1 place.
Recruitment - difficult to travel to people in own homes if spread over a large geographical area. Housing clusters.
Scottish Care recommended getting social work to talk to the person who is either needing care or the relative trying to care. They are never available

Suggestions for future Caithness Get-togethers
Action:
Advertise more, bring in more people
Invite councillors
Staff in hotel to be more aware of room booking and noise levels
Make sure all technical equipment is working and that staff know how to use it
Better lighting

Topics for future meetings:
Information on what activities are available in the local area, invite services with their own pamphlets and tables to give a short talk on their expertise
Energy Advice
Dementia Friendly Communities
Transport in Caithness
Telecare service
NHS and Social Care
Info or training about abuse and how to deal with it

Contact the Highland Senior Citizens Network co-ordinator for more information:
Anne McDonald, 07933 653313, anne-hscn@outlook.com www.hscn.co.uk