Gwenda Thomas AM Column for Neath Guardian September 2008

It gave me great pleasure to see how well our Paralympians did in Beijing and it was excellent to see the success our swimmers had under the training of Neath-born coach Billy Pye.
Apart from possessing outstanding athletes, Wales has a higher proportion of older people than anywhere else in the UK and the numbers are increasing. More than one in five of Welsh people are aged over 60 and in 20 years’ time just under one in three of us will be over 60.
As the general population gets older we are all aware of the media portrayal of the strains that this will place on our health and social services. Conversely, I’m sure we all appreciate the powerful influences for good that older people can have over all our lives. Different cultures such as those of South East Asia place a much higher appreciation on the positive influence and contribution that older people can have, however in Wales this is not always so.
It is good that we are living longer and healthier lives which is why the Welsh Assembly Government is committed to improving the lives of older people by ensuring that services are in place to help the older generation live independently with dignity, care and most importantly enjoying life. The strategy for older people provides a 10-year framework to improve services for older people. This strategy was commended at the International Federation on Ageing conference in Montreal last week, for considering the needs of our ageing population regarding economic activity, housing and social inclusion.
I was delighted to launch phase two of the strategy – Living Longer, Living Better – in March. On top of the £13m already allocated I have made an additional £7m available for the next three years. This will guarantee that the strategy will continue its momentum and ensure that older people in Wales will continue to benefit.
October 1st is the UK day for older people, the focus this year will be the valuable contribution older people in Wales make within their communities. Last year a commitment was given to develop a co-ordinated approach to the relationships that can be built through shared interests and activities between older and younger people.
I hope that these commitments will dispel the myths and fears regarding older people as successfully as the Paralympics have improved society’s view of disabled people.