Three out of four people  (76%) surveyed in Northern Ireland feel that the Government is not doing enough for older people, according to the a new report from the 2008 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey of 1200 adults  published today.

Among the other headline findings from the survey are:

Almost one in three people (31per cent) surveyed believes that a friend or family member was treated with less dignity and respect by people in the health and social care professions because of their age.
Four out of five people (81per cent) surveyed agreed with the statement that “What older people need is an independent body outside government that champions the needs and rights of older people”.
Over half the people surveyed (55 per cent) said that older people were not adequately represented by Northern Ireland’s politicians.
The Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey is run by ARK, a joint research initiative between Queen’s and the University of Ulster.

Paula Devine, Coordinator of the Life and Times Survey, based in the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen’s, said: “Growing older is something that affects us all, at a personal, family and policy level.  It is important, therefore, to have research that highlights how things have changed, or not, in our society over the past five years. 

“The Life and Times survey results will provide evidence for those involved in developing policies affecting older people, such as employment practice or the provision of health care.”

Researcher Ann Marie Gray, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Ulster said:  “The survey of attitudes to age and ageing in Northern Ireland shows a mixed picture.  While the population as a whole feel that things may be slightly better for older people, there is a growing sense that institutions and professions discriminate against older people.

“But it is not all bad news. There is some indication that the perception of how older people are treated has changed in the past five years since the Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey last looked at this topic.

“Since 2003 there has been a fall of 9% in the number of those who feel that older people are treated with less respect because of their age with 27% of the population now thinking this is the case.

“Interestingly, it is older people themselves who are most likely to think that things have changed for the better in terms of how they are treated generally.”

However, other findings from the survey paint a more pessimistic picture, said Dr Gray.

“There is a stronger perception of instances of discrimination across all of the areas surveyed than there was in 2003. 

“Topping the list of where people feel that friends or family members have been treated with less dignity and respect is health and social care professionals, with nearly a third of people saying that this was the case.  But it is in employment practices where people feel discrimination against older people has increased most since 2003 with 1 in 5 people believing that a family member or friend had been treated badly by an employer because of their age.   

“What is striking in these findings about unfairness against older people is the clear disparity between the views of people aged under 65 and those who are older. The proportion of older people reporting these “problems remains small compared to the numbers of those in the younger age groups and especially 44-59 year olds, the ‘angry generation’, who are the group most likely to perceive discrimination and inequality.”

Dr Gray said: “It is possible that some of the increase in unfairness and discrimination against older people may be due to greater awareness of ageism and more sensitivity to the issues.  That society seems to have more positive views about how older people are respected and treated generally is a welcome development but clearly much remains to be done. 

“The strong view that older people have not been adequately represented also poses significant challenges for policy makers and politicians in Northern Ireland.”

The Atlantic Philanthropies funded the NILT research on age and ageing.
These, and other results from the 2008 Northern Ireland Life Times Survey, can be found at www.ark.ac.uk