Penny the Pig is coming to Sutton to highlight the social care crisis
Published on 01 August 2018 01:09 PM
‘Penny’ the inflatable piggy bank is coming to Sutton to highlight the urgent need for more funding for social care.
With the latest data suggesting 1.4m older people in the UK go without the care and support they need, Penny shows how nationally, the care crisis is costing our NHS £500 a minute in delayed discharges of older people due to a lack of care provision for when they return home.
Our partner charity, Age UK has been taking Penny across England to draw attention to the need for the Government to provide more funding for social care. Penny has already visited the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, as well as local Age UKs in Hertfordshire and Lancashire.
On Wednesday 29 August, Penny will be here in Sutton at the following locations:
- Sutton High Street from 10 AM to 12 PM
- Carshalton High Street from 2 PM to 4 PM
We invite the Sutton community to visit Penny and write a postcard to your local MP, telling them why they should care about social care. Meet staff from Age UK Sutton and Age UK and share your experiences of social care. Whether you are an older person, a young person, a carer, receiving care, or a professional, your voice is important in letting the Government know they need to improve social care and save our NHS £500 a minute.
Nicola Upton, CEO of Age UK Sutton said:
“In our borough, more than 4000 people aged 65+ provide unpaid care . We are committed to helping older people, their carers and families to manage the often significant emotional, physical and financial toll of providing social care in the current system.
Our local council and NHS are doing the best they can with pinched resources and funding, and we are proud to work in partnership with them to provide support in the community.
We know that change to the social care system must first happen at a national level, led by the government, before it can be realised locally.
With the Green Paper on social care expected in the autumn, we want to ensure that the voices of local older people and their carers are heard in letting the government know that now is the time to grasp the nettle and finally fix the care crisis in our country.
I warmly invite Sutton’s residents to join the Age UK Sutton team, and our partner charity Age UK on 29 August and lend your voice to our call on the government to fix the social care crisis to save the NHS money, and ensure people get the help and support they desperately need.”
Are you planning to visit Penny?
It would be helpful if you can let us know if you are. RSVP with your name and whether you plan on visiting Penny in Sutton or Carshalton to comms@ageuksutton.org.uk , call 020 8408 7025 or visit our contact us page to send a message online
Looking for local voices to share their story of social care
Right now, the whole adult social care system is close to breaking, and over 1.4 million older people are left to struggle by each day without the support they need.
Age UK Sutton are working with our national partner charity Age UK to support their Care in Crisis campaign by creating a video that highlights the struggles older people and their carers face in the current social care system.
Visit the Care in Crisis campaign webpage to find out what the campaign has done so far
We are looking for people who can share a day in their life with us, so that others can see and experience for themselves what it is like being an older carer and the impact of the current social care system.
These stories will form an important part of the national Care in Crisis campaign, highlighting the need for the Government to fix social care and improve the situation for older people and their carers. They will also help Age UK Sutton to influence change on a local level.
We are looking for people who are:
- Aged 50+ and providing unpaid care to an older person e.g. a partner/family member/friend
- Willing to be filmed as part of sharing their story
If you or someone you know can help, please contact Menaka Lawrance at Age UK Sutton for an informal chat.
Tel: 020 8408 7025
Email: menaka.lawrance@ageuksutton.org.uk