IWD 2023 - Embrace Equity

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Embrace Equity.’ To celebrate this we spoke to four of the elected representatives of the Newham OPRG and our OPRG coordinator Grace Patient, to understand how the OPRG gives older women a platform to make their voices heard and create positive change in their communities.

The Older Person’s Reference Group, or OPRG, is an AUKEL project that brings together a diverse group of older people to discuss the issues they face, create dialogue with policy makers and resist ageism. There are groups in Newham, Hackney & City and Tower Hamlets. Any local resident over 50 is welcome to join their local OPRG to voice their opinions on important issues.

We sat down with four elected representatives off the Newham OPRG: Stella, Jean, Hazel and Yetunde. All of these women have been living in Newham for over 30 years with Stella having been here for more than 60! Each of them has been involved with the OPRG for more than 10 years. When we asked them what the OPRG does, Hazel told us it is the “voice of the older people.” Yetunde agreed that the group shows a “concern for the welfare of older people” and “supports them in the community.”

Many of the concerns that Stella, Jean, Hazel and Yetunde raised when asked about the issues facing older people today centred around healthcare. As retired nurses each of these women have a deep knowledge of the healthcare system and are experts in the field. The OPRG has served as a platform for them and many others to make their voices heard on important healthcare issues facing older people and make positive change for older peoples’ experience in hospital.

The Newham OPRG have been consulted by healthcare representatives and Newham Council on a range of different issues such as advanced care planning, hospital welfare and cost of living support. Through regular assessments at Newham Hospital the Newham OPRG have created important initiatives to improve the experience that older people have when they visit hospital. An excellent example of this is a coloured tray system that signifies to healthcare providers when someone may require help with eating. Prior to this initiative stroke survivors had received meals that had then been taken away uneaten because healthcare providers were unaware that they required assistance. Initiatives like this, and others such as calling for regular gown changes, have significantly increased the sense of dignity older people have when they visit hospital.

Unfortunately, as a result of Covid, opportunities for older people to have dialogue with decision makers in hospitals have reduced. This is why groups like the OPRG are so important; they create a space for older people to have a unified voice that more effectively reaches decision makers whilst fostering a sense of community amongst a demographic that is known to suffer from isolation. Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets have the highest rates of pensioner poverty in the UK. In this context it becomes even more crucial that older people are able to make their voices heard, create change and address the issues that face them, many of which are ignored in public discourse.

As Grace Patient, our OPRG Coordinator tells us, “I could sit and talk to these incredible women for hours, they bring such a breath of knowledge, a drive to help others and humour to the table. I am inspired by the work they have achieved and still achieve with the OPRG. I feel empowered after our meetings and it gives me the motivation to make a difference for older people in East London, because these women have a strong, powerful and impactful voice.”

If you would like to join your local OPRG to make your voice heard on important issues you can email Grace at grace.patient@ageukeastlondon.org.uk or call 020 8981 7124.