1. Ros Levenson December 10 2013

2. My core assumptions Age discrimination is a key human rights issue Ageism is still widespread in health and social care Age discrimination is integrally related to ageism Tackling age discrimination cannot be wholly separated from tackling the quality of older people’s services generally

3. Age discrimination does not occur in a vacuum Undignified care of older people does not happen in a vacuum; it is rooted in the discrimination and neglect evident towards older people in British society. Age discrimination is the most common form of discrimination in the UK. Delivering Dignity. Local Government Association, NHS Federation, Age UK. 2012.

4. Why age discrimination matters Ethical case Business case Professional responsibilities Legal case

5. Ethical case Ethical and human rights arguments seem obvious, but they don't seem to be persuasive Many examples where older people’s rights, wellbeing and dignity are breached Is being old a risk factor for substandard care?

7. Business case Poor care can cost more – readmissions, longer stays etc Cost of complaints and enquiries Cost of Francis Enquiry: £13 million

8. Professional responsibilities Healthcare professions require non-discriminatory conduct Some professionals are taking a keen interest in developing non-discriminatory services

9. The legal case Age discrimination legislation is a great opportunity to forge ahead with tackling the problem of age discrimination in health and social care Age discrimination legislation focuses minds It is not a magic solution

10. So what needs to be done? Auditing age discrimination Changing attitudes / challenging ageism Service redesign – empowering older people and staff Education and training

11. Moving forward Be explicit about the priorities for change Make clear recommendations for change (solutions, not just problems) Small changes now, as part of a longer term strategy Build on sustainable, incremental improvements Empower staff and older people to make changes Identify key people who can take action and be allies in making change happen Be clear that tackling age discrimination is an ongoing process, not a one-off event Learn from the experience of others

12. We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction. Bill Gates The Road Ahead, Penguin Books. 1995