Older People's Strategy - Newcastle City Council

37Attitudes to older peopleOlder people often express frustration at either beingpatronised or finding little understanding of some aspects ofageing such as memory or sensory loss or loss of mobility.A campaign to safeguard dignity in care has been launchedby the Department of Health and is one of the main themes ofA New Ambition for Old Age (www.dh.gov.uk). Understandingwhat dignity in care means to older people, and being sensitiveto cultural needs and lifestyle choices, is an essential part ofthis campaign.Spirituality plays an important part in many older people’s lives,but this means many different things to such a diverse groupof people. Older people would welcome opportunities to sharewith different faiths and cultures.Perceptions of older people and attitudes towards them changewhen people have the opportunity to see the world from theperspective of older people. Training courses provided byolder people and carers have proved particularly effectivein improving staff attitudes in health and social care services.The training courses provided by the Old Spice drama groupare an example of this.Age discriminationNew legislation introduced in October 2006 makes agediscrimination in the workplace unlawful, but many olderpeople experience discrimination in accessing other goodsand services e.g. travel insurance; banking.