Despite a string of TV personalities declaring that old age is the most enjoyable and fulfilling time of one's life, many elderly people encounter ageist attitudes on a daily basis. In particular the health and social care systems are intrinsically ageist. I explored ageism in a talk at the Lowdham Book Festival in 2005 below.
2005 Lowdham Book Festival Talk transcript .

One aspect of ageism in the health service is the massive reduction in the number of beds for elderly people with long-term disabling conditions: the number was cut by two-thirds during the last quarter of the 20th century. After a battle, I managed to secure one of these NHS Continuing Care beds for my mother. However, the Continuing Care system is not ideal, and when in 2005 the House of Commons Health Select Committee conducted an inquiry into NHS Continuing Care, I submitted evidence, which you can read here...

My interest in access to the countryside sprang from recognition of the enormous amount of land in Britain on which people may not legally set foot even though they would do no conceivable damage. For people with mobility problems (as a result of anything from osteoarthritis to lung disease), exclusion takes on a huge additional dimension. Large numbers of these people are shut out of glorious countryside simply for the want of basic features like seats, gates (instead of stiles) and paths with a smooth surface. Lack of basic infrastructure to facilitate walking is certainly not confined to the countryside: in towns too perfectly straightforward steps could transform the lives of many people, as I explain in this article from the Women's Institute annual publication Woman's World

There has been growing interest in ensuring that people have a good death. For instance, in 2006 another attempt was made to legalise assisted suicide in the form of Lord Joffe's Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill.
In an article in the Daily Express, I explained why I believe that assisted suicide would have serious repercussions for frail elderly people; and in my Survival Guide I aim to give people the knowledge to ensure that they know what palliative care they should be asking for, if it is not offered.

Dementia is one of most challenging medical conditions of our age. It is extremely common and can cause great suffering, but there is no cure nor any prospect of one. My own personal story of dementia, involving my mother, is recounted in an article published in The Sunday Telegraph
I often give talks about dementia, this one I gave to Carers Support in 2005;

I am particularly interested in working out ways of communicating with people with dementia and was delighted to see the development of interest in this subject prompted by the publication in 2008 of Oliver James's book Contented Dementia. I have been a member of the committee of the Sutton branch of The Alzheimer's Society and the Society's London Area Forum for several years and was until recently a member of its national advisory council. I help evaluate proposals for research which come to the Society as a member of its Quality Research in Dementia forum.

Many people provide unpaid care to disabled or frail relatives and friends which the state would have to provide were it not for their efforts. Yet carers often receive very little by way of help and are often unaware of their entitlements. I often give talks to carers groups, offering practical advice and discussing issues that affect them, as for example in a talk in Northumberland in 2005,
See also faith groups below.

Finding romance, keeping a pet and taking part in art and craft groups are some of the ways in which we can find fun in later life.
Click on these topics for articles in which I explore these subjects.

• Finding romance
• Keeping a pet
• Art for people with disabilities