Editor Victoria Galligan spoke to Annabel James, founder of Age Space, about how people caring for elderly relatives were crying out for some more support – and what she did about it.
Eight weeks visiting her mum in the Stroke Unit at Poole Hospital started Annabel James thinking. She felt increasingly isolated and anxious about the decisions that had to be made; not knowing where to find answers – or even what the questions were some of the time.
As Annabel shared her experience with family and friends it became clear that she wasn’t alone. She then spent a year researching possible solutions which led to her setting up agespace.org – a one-stop online resource for anyone anxious about or caring for elderly parents or relatives.
The website is targeted at “the sandwich generation”, those aged 45+ who may be juggling busy lives of work, children and supporting elderly parents. It aims to be the trusted local guide, organised by county, signposting to organisations and services that can help for any aspect of elderly care. It also aims to de-mystify issues such as funding care and the legal aspects of ageing and frailty. 
Annabel said, “Recognising that parents can no longer cope can be a real challenge, so Age Space provides checklists of things to look out for such as unopened post, the house becoming untidy, and personal hygiene issues; it also suggests options for more support or changes to living arrangements. The website shares suggestions for choosing a care home or care services – does it pass the Mum test? Would you leave your Mum with these people or in this place?”
The information provided is practical and based on experiences and expert guidance – such as information on being discharged from hospital. So often families find themselves making decisions in a crisis and it can be very hard to know what to do for the best. Age Space aims to change all this. The website currently operates local online portals in Norfolk, Dorset and Sussex with plans to launch in Cheshire and the South West later this year with a national roll-out within three years.
Annabel added, “Involving families in the care of their loved ones is really important for all concerned. Crucially it shouldn’t be just about the care – it’s as much about how someone lives as full and happy a life as possible whatever the setting of their care.
“With ever-increasing pressure on the health and social care services, the Government has to do more than short-term, stop-gap solutions. It is such a complex issue that ideally there would be a cross-party commitment to finding long-term sustainable ways to support our ageing population.”
The forthcoming Green Paper is welcomed by Annabel, but she said she is “concerned that any final recommendations will not go far enough”.
For more information, find Age Space on Facebook or go to agespace.org
