CHAPTER 5: ENGAGEMENT

Changes in longevity, health and patterns of employment are transforming the nature and experience of old age. The main benefit of this change is that a large cohort of the older population will remain active and healthy and will have the potential to provide significant benefits to their communities from their accumulated life skills and experience. Rather than viewing older people merely as high users of services, engagement involves recognition of the fact that older people have a range of characteristics, perspectives and interests which should be identified, acknowledged and used to the benefit of society (Dunning 1995, Lindow and Morris 1995).

Many older people already participate in and contribute to society in a variety of ways. They provide support to their families through caring for spouses or grandchildren, they work as volunteers and they support economic activity as consumers. The challenge is to develop the structures and supports to encourage older people to become new role models and to remain fully engaged in their communities. The Positive Ageing Strategy could facilitate greater engagement of older people through a focus on the following;

• providing a wide range of opportunities for older people,
• seeking to increase motivation to participate in activities based on the individual older person’s needs and wishes while
• tackling any barriers to full engagement particularly for those facing greater barriers such as those who are more frail and dependent.
• Increasing awareness of the benefits of engagement for older people and for their communities.

This chapter looks at the benefits of engagement for older people and for their communities and also looks at the potential barriers that may prevent full engagement such as ageism and age discrimination. It also examines the many ways that older people can be engaged in their communities such as through volunteering, through their social networks, through learning opportunities, through involvement in policy development and older people’s organisations and through artistic and sporting activities and organisations.