Older People

How we support those caring for someone who is elderly and other useful contacts.

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If you provide unpaid care or help to a relative, partner or friend who is aged over 65, particularly if the person is frail or vulnerable, we want to make sure you are heard, informed and connected to services and others in a similar caring situation. We also want to make sure you are listened to and can share your views and experiences with those who commission and deliver services, to influence improvements and that you are involved in the planning and delivery of health, social care, and community services in Hertfordshire.

What we do

We offer a range of support, which includes:

  • Holding meetings or events for carers to find out about a particular issue or topic such as benefits or legal matter or to discuss a service they or the person they look after, if it is being reviewed or there are changes planned.
  • Making carers aware of consultations, workshops and working groups.
  •  Supporting carers to respond to national and local consultations and to lobby on national issues as appropriate.
  • Empowering carers to constructively challenge the impact of commissioning decisions on people with caring responsibilities and the people they look after.
  •  Providing training and support to help you represent your views and those of other carers to the health and social care authorities who commission services in Hertfordshire if you wish to be more involved.
  • Sending out regular Engagement Bulletins via email and updates about events and meetings. Contact us if you want to be added to the mailing list.

Some of the information and feedback you give is shared with  Hertfordshire’s Older People‘s Co-production Board. The Board includes people aged over 65 or their family carers, and professionals from NHS organisations, Hertfordshire County Council and voluntary or community sector organisations, such as us, Carers in Hertfordshire. There is more information about co-production and the Co-production Boards on Hertfordshire County Council’s website – CLICK HERE.

How you can be involved

Attend one of our Carers of Older People meetings, events or information sessions. They are friendly, relaxed sessions where you can have your say about the services that you receive or may receive in the future. For those carers who are unable to attend regular meetings, you can tell us about your experiences of services by email, telephone conversations or by responding to surveys or attending one-off workshops.

Information and views shared at our meetings and events is often fed into Hertfordshire’s Older People‘s Co-production Board. The Board consists of older people and their family carers, representatives from voluntary sector organisations such as us, Carers in Hertfordshire, and services such as the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council. Views are then fed into service reviews such as Transforming Day Opportunities, which Hertfordshire County Council published an update on in November 2021 – available to read at this link.

If you have something to share or would like to get involved, please get in touch.

Other Organisations and Useful Links

Age UK Hertfordshire offers various services to older people and their carers, including information and advice, nutritional and diabetic service, help in the home and keeping in touch. The Hertfordshire office is available by telephone on 01707 323 272 or by visiting their website: www.ageuk.org.uk/hertfordshire/. The national number is 0300 345 3446.

Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS) is the largest not-for-profit meals on wheels service in the UK. HILS provides a range of caring services to help people to stay happy, healthy, and independent in their own homes. HILS is available by calling 0330 2000 103 (local rate number) or by visiting their website: hertsindependentliving.org/.

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