In this week's column, councillor Liz Terry, the leader of Reading Borough Council, gives residents an insight into the support organisations can provide to elderly people so they can age with dignity. Cllr Terry writes: 

Tuesday (Oct 1) was International Older People’s Day and a number of council services, alongside Reading’s amazing charities and voluntary partners, were at Broad Street Mall to showcase what they offer to support and advise older people in our communities.

As always,  it was an extremely worthwhile event organised in conjunction with our partners Age UK Berkshire.

Staying healthy and well as an adult is of course important, especially as we all face the inevitable challenges of getting older.

Of the council’s overall budget more than a third, and the largest spend, is used to support people over the age of 18 who have needs as determined nationally by the Care Act. That could be providing support and care to residents with a physical disability, learning disabilities and autism, and people with mental health needs. All the efforts by Council staff are invaluable in helping people stay safe and independent in their own homes and communities, which is what most of us would want.

‘Supporting the life that matters to you’ is at the heart of our work in our adult social care services and everybody, at whatever age, can take some action to help their physical and mental wellbeing.

To support our work, we distribute a pot of money called the Better Care Fund to organisations or community groups with the knowledge, experience, and know how to reach people in our communities.

This year, that work sees the Council continuing to support the expansion of a parish nurse service in Whitley, along with a new parish nurse service in West Reading, a sight loss support outreach service, a health advisor at Mencap and a men’s support service.

There are the Community Wellness Outreach sessions around the borough which provide free NHS health checks to people who have not had a GP appointment for a significant period of time. This service is invaluable in helping to uncover symptomless danger signs which can help prevent diseases and illnesses including diabetes, kidney and heart issues.

There are sessions all over the borough at community centres or familiar locations near you. Take a look at RVA.org.uk for the next date of a session taking place near you. Don’t worry if you can’t book one, there are walk-ins available on the day, but you may be asked to wait a small amount of time.

The Council is also at the forefront of using developing technology to help keep residents safe in their homes. We are all getting used to technology in our homes (some more than others!) and there is little doubt that it is going to be at the forefront of supporting people to live independently in the future and giving concerned family members peace of mind they need.

Examples of this technology include devices which can monitor if anything falls outside a person’s usual routine, equipping loved ones suffering from dementia with wearable devices should they if they go for a stroll or the more basic but invaluable alarms for fire and falls.

There is a wealth of information on the award-winning Reading Services Guide which holds up-to-date information about things to do, and where to go to get the support for you or a loved one may need. You can find that at servicesguide.reading.gov.uk.

While we may not know when we may need extra support at whatever level is needed, there is a wealth of information and support out there to be accessed.