27 Aug 2023
Rev Peter Crumpler, associate minister at St Paul’s Church in Fleetville, looks at how older people are being marginalised.
“Don’t grow old,” a parishioner of advanced years warned me some while back. “You won’t like it.”
Sadly that woman is no longer with us, and I’m a whole lot older than when she offered me that kind advice. But was there wisdom in her words?
It’s true that generally people are living longer and in better health than in generations before, but there are increasing challenges for older men and women in our community.
So I ask the question: is St Albans district a good place to grow older?
I’m not talking about the quality of the care homes or the NHS services, but about the everyday lives of older people.
My friend, Maggie Dodd is the ‘Anna Chaplain’ for older people in St Albans. She is one of around 300 such chaplains up and down the country. They spiritually support people – of strong, little or no faith – in care homes, sheltered housing or in their own homes. Maggie’s important work is backed by the city’s two Methodist churches.
Maggie has told me how life is becoming harder for older people in the area, and we’ve swapped notes on what we have both observed.
She explained: “Some of the basic services older people need are becoming more difficult to access. I hear about doctor’s surgeries asking for patients to print out their own forms or send photos to or from smartphones.
“Banks are phasing out high street branches, pushing everyone towards online banking – many older people feel very uneasy about going online, worried of being scammed out of their savings.
“A trip to the shops is also becoming more complicated. Checkouts in supermarkets are increasingly self-service. Mobility can also be affected as car parks often need an app to be uploaded onto a smartphone to park. Many city car parks ask for payment by app – and at St Albans City station there is no option to pay by card or cash!”
It’s not just older men and women who are disadvantaged by the move away from people and cash to technology and smartphones. People with poor eyesight or reduced cognitive abilities can also struggle.
Plans to remove the ticket offices at train stations will make matters worse for many would-be rail travellers.
Maggie told me: “This gradual marginalisation of people can leave them feeling lonely and isolated. Loneliness can have a huge detrimental effect on health and wellbeing. Prolonged social isolation and loneliness are the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
I agree with Maggie, and I’m grateful to her for raising this issue. Older people are being increasingly marginalised when, alongside people of all ages, they should be able to play a full part in our community.
It’s good that many churches run special events and activities for older people, as well as groups for all ages. Christians are called to follow Christ’s example and speak out for those on the margins of our society. In today’s St Albans and Harpenden, that could be anyone reaching later life…
