Making North Tyneside an Age Friendly Community

Healthwatch North Tyneside undertook research with 970 people about making North Tyneside an Age Friendly Community.

Residents were generally very positive about living in North Tyneside. They told Healthwatch, in the future:

People want to avoid loneliness and isolation. Many told us they already felt lonely or isolated at times, others said they worried about becoming isolated as they got older. This appears to be particularly an issue in evenings and at weekends and some reflected that it has got worse since the Covid pandemic.

People are keen to find ways to stay fit, healthy and mentally active. They want to learn new skills, spend time with others and get out and about. People said they want more opportunities to do this.

People need to be better informed about opportunities and support. They want access to high quality information about what is available in North Tyneside, with more printed as well as digital information, so they can easily connect to support and activities. The vast majority of people told us they found it difficult to find out what activities and support were available and ‘stumble across’ something they might be interested in.

They need provision of a better range of activities, opportunities and support services at times and locations suiting various circumstances. This includes opportunities for people to develop their interests, volunteer, learn new skills, improve their confidence with technology and meet other people. Consideration needs to be given for people who are working, have family and caring responsibilities. Many felt there are not enough opportunities that meet their needs and that opportunities that do exist are poorly promoted.

They need a good transport service. Many said they rely on their own cars at the moment and are concerned about what they will do if/when they stop driving. People commonly felt public transport is unreliable, unsafe, unaffordable, inaccessible and/or unavailable in the times and places they need it People with mobility issues said they struggle to get transport from their front door without significant personal expense or relying on family and friends.

They need access to medical appointments and services that are integrated and centred on the needs of the person, along with advice and support on how to stay fit and well. There are some examples of great practice, with other people expressing the opposite. They also want to get prompt access to high quality care and support when they need it, including mental health support, GPs, strength and balance classes and memory support.

People are concerned about their changing housing needs as they get older. People said they wanted affordable safe housing meeting their physical needs, in a safe area (anti-social behaviour free) close to the required services, facilities and places they know. There is a strong desire to stay in their own homes and adapt their homes to their changing needs, but people will need advice to do this.

People want improved accessibility of outdoor spaces and buildings that the public use (including cafes), with places to rest and well-tended green spaces and footpaths, and places that are well lit on darker nights.

They need better access to clean and accessible public toilets to enable them to go out and about without worrying about a lack of facilities.

Many want to see Improved intergenerational relationships through skills exchange between younger and older people, and older people visiting schools. This may build more trust and help address concerns about anti-social behaviour.

Older people want to be respected as a core part of the community in North Tyneside. Many describe feeling invisible, forgotten about or ignored by other people, communities, services or society.