Fatally flawed proposal

We’ve been hearing for a while about the terrible and unprecedented number of suicides occurring at France Telecom (25 since 2008 apparently). According to a recent story in the Times, the organisation is now to make part-time jobs available on a voluntary basis to employees aged over 57 who feel that full time work is endangering their health. My money’s on the fact that those making this decision are nowhere near 57 themselves. The (potentially fatal) flaw in the argument is that these poor beleaguered older workers who are already feeling highly stressed and threatened would be doing the equivalent of throwing themselves to the wolves, the very act of admitting that they could no longer take the pace being tantamount to lying on their backs with their legs in the air waiting to be ripped asunder. As anyone who’s spoken to older workers knows, a common driver of those who still want to see themselves as contributing value in a competitive situation is not wanting to admit they’re ‘not up to it’ or ‘not as good’ as younger competitors. BT proved this when they found that few of their older workers actually wanted to take advantage of reduced hours working for just this reason.

 Okay, some older workers do want to wind down and reduce their hours, but those at France Telecom are unlikely to fit the bill as they’re not being offered the choice to do it for positive reasons (either their own or their employer’s) in a supportive environment. As a comment on the Times site said, they should at least offer the option to all workers, to single out older workers in this instance is both inappropriate and insulting – and unfortunately not likely to solve the problem. Let’s hope they call in the occupational psychologists without delay.

Read the Times story at http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article6895790.ece

“Building a society for all ages”

The deadline has now passed, at least for the moment, to make your voice heard to the government over their proposals outlined in “Building a society for all ages” a document which focuses predominantly on the issues surrounding our ageing population. The issues are very wide-ranging and extremely important.

We here, at in my prime, made our own representations in the fields in which we operate and if you are interested in seeing what we had to say please click here 

To read the original government document click here

What’s so special about 50+?

Oscar, the concessions site for the over 50s has launched a new award to coincide with UK Older Person’s Day and Grandparents’ Day which both take place this month. They’ve called them the Golden Owls and their purpose is to “find the cream of the over-50s”.  All well and good -  we strongly support the idea of promoting the position of older people and would always encourage the recognition of much needed role models for what being “over 50” is like these days.

But sadly, a closer look at the categories reveals that this is hardly likely to be the outcome. If you want to vote you can choose from:
•  THE EUREKA – most inspirational person of our time
•  THE ENDURANCE – longest-lasting celebrity
•  THE GIVER – Most worthy charity
•  THE INNOVATOR – Most recognised achievement in industry
•  THE OLYMPIAN – Outstanding contribution to sport
•  THE OWL – Lifetime Achievement Award

All of these are likely to produce the same old names representing the same old activities. What’s happened to the really meaningful stuff like:

The Feminist – the woman who has overcome ageist stereotypes

The Supporter – the individual from whatever sphere who has most helped the cause of older people

The Communicator – the writer, artist or commentator who has most clearly contributed to greater understanding about ageing in the twenty-first century

The Worker – the employee who sets the best example of what later life working can be

We’re sure there are plenty more categories that would be really worthwhile including those in areas such as caring, wisdom, and original thought. Why not let us know what you’d like to see?

In the meantime, as nominations close on October 15^th, you ‘ll have to be quick with the Golden Owls if you want to cast your vote.

Click here  to see more

A ton of things to sort out.

Research published in The Lancet and reported widely in the press this week (for more see www.inmyprime.info) predicts that about half of the children now being born in wealthier countries can expect to live to be 100 or more. Furthermore, with better and earlier medical intervention many of these later years can be free of serious disability. This Danish/German research adds more weight to the ever-growing need to address the issues surrounding population ageing and to acknowledge that the concept and definition of old age needs to be re-examined, mindsets changed and prejudices challenged.

The researchers have even suggested that the lifespans of people should now be considered in four stages: child, adult, young old age and old old age. This is something which those of us who specialise in the field have been banging on about for some time – it is just not possible to lump people who have reached a certain age all together and assume that they are elderly and that their active and useful lives have come to an end, along with their judgement, taste, ability to think for themselves and so on. We are talking about a 50-year time interval here – potentially half of one’s life. And if in “old old age” we can be independent and moderately healthy then what does it say for “young old age” or in my prime as we might describe it?

But living this long is not a “given”. It is dependent on many things – financial security, physical and mental well-being, a good reason to want to live that long, and adequate safety nets for when we might become old or infirm.

The serious debate is only just beginning.

 

 

National Olderpreneur Roadshow kicks off next week

It is now well-documented that people over 50 setting up their own businesses have a greater chance of success than any other age group. But, if you are contemplating doing this, where do you start?

Well, here is one answer. Over 50s with this idea in mind can come along to PRIME’s Olderpreneur Roadshow which kicks off in Bristol on 23 September. PRIME (The Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise) is the only national organisation that offers practical support to Over 50s considering setting up their own business or becoming self-employed and their Olderpreneur Roadshow is part of a practical package of support the charity offers Over 50s including a Business Club, Olderpreneur Loans Scheme and  Mentoring.

At the FREE roadshow anyone over 50 who wants to find out whether self-employment or setting up their own business might be for them, can come along. They will hear from local ‘olderpreneurs’ about their experiences, and from inspirational business speaker Tom Edge, author of “Age Is No Barrier”. They will also be able to quiz local business support organisations and network with other Over 50s wanting to start up on their own.

The Roadshow will run from now until early 2010 and after Bristol, it will move to Leeds on 14 October, Birmingham on 4 November, London on 10 November and Manchester on 9 December.

“The potential for economic growth partly driven by the Over 50s could be a big factor in the success of the UK’s businesses and in our future.  However, they need better targeted support and guidance. Many have care responsibilities.  A significant number have a health condition or a disability. Nevertheless, flexible working and a good work-life balance can be key to the Over 50s remaining in work, which is why self-employment or setting up their own business is such a good option”, says Laurie South, Chief Executive of PRIME.

For more information and /or to register for a free place visit; http://www.primebusinessclub.co.uk/events/

Mass media communication

The more we deal with issues relating to the in my prime market, the more it becomes apparent that a great deal more education and information is required to help people plan and prepare for the latter decades of their lives. Traditionally this has been viewed as “pre-retirement planning” or has come from government or charitable organisations striving to “help” the elderly to manage better. Whilst these initiatives are all well and good, there is still a gaping hole in respect of what the “young old” need to know about the preparations we should all be making for the future.

A recent report from retirement housing developers Dunwood Court revealed that older people worry about their futures, but most do not actively plan for the time when they will become less able. In fact more than half of us are likely to die without even writing a Will. Whilst some might put this down to active complacency, we believe that it results from a lack of awareness of some of the issues and the possible actions that could be taken in order to ensure a smoother and more comfortable transition into true old age. Okay we might not know exactly what is going to happen to us, but there is a reasonable degree of certainty in respect of certain aspects of ageing.

Happily we are frequently asked to contribute to radio programmes concerning aspects of ageing (recent events include slots on Radio City 96.7 and Talk Radio Europe) but these tend to relate to discussions about a particular topic which is currently the focus of media attention. What we would like to see (and be involved in) are programmes which more seriously question and debate issues around what it means to grow older in today’s society and what innovative approaches might be taken to helping people take greater responsibility for their own futures. Any takers anyone?

Case studies needed

We are often approached by journalists who need real life case studies of people in their prime (i.e. 50s and 60s) to interview for newspaper or magazine articles they are writing. Just at the moment we have a request for women who are currently planning a retirement dream – the interview will focus on financial planning aspects and will be published in a new financial services magazine coming out early in 2010. The closing date for potential interviewees for this is September 18^th. 

However, on an ongoing basis, we are always happy to hear from anyone in this age group who feels they have an interesting story to tell, particularly in relation to a special achievement in later life or perhaps starting a business or taking a change of direction. We can feature you on the Prime Examples section of our website (www.inmyprime.info) and of course, could then contact you if we were approached by a journalist looking for case studies such as yours. For those of you who do have a business it can be a great publicity opportunity and, this aside, your story can be a huge source of inspiration and a role model to other people who are rethinking their lives.

Please get in touch!

Email enquiries@inmyprime.info

Important opportunity to contribute to government thinking on age

 In July, in the midst of summer (?) the Government launched its strategy “Building A Society For All Ages” which is intended to help Britain prepare for our ageing society. The strategy builds on work already being done and sets out a number of new proposals which include:

• The launch of an interactive one stop shop for helping people plan ahead from 2010.  This will help people in mid-life to make decisions on financial, health, careers and other issues;
• A new Active at 60 package which will provide people with information about their entitlements and opportunities – helping them to stay active and involved in their later life;
• Working with local areas to develop a Good Place to Grow Old Programme with a National Agreement to promote the importance of ageing issues at a local level, and an innovative service delivery fund to test new approaches to delivering services for older people;
• A new UK Advisory Forum on Ageing will be responsible at a national level for providing advice to ministers across Government on additional steps that Government and partners need to take to improve well-being and independence in later life. 

These proposals form part of a full, formal public consultation in which views are welcomed from all on how government can implement these proposals and what more can be done to reach a vision of a society for all ages. They are keen to receive written responses and to hear views at a number of consultation events taking place across the country in September and October from local government, stakeholders, the voluntary and private sectors and the general public. 

This seems a real opportunity to make the views of older people heard. For further information and to contribute go to http://www.hmg.gov.uk/buildingasocietyforallages/consultation.aspx