Older People's Strategy - Newcastle City Council

75Outcome 3dOlder people have access to practical serviceswhich promote independenceIssues and prioritiesOlder people are finding it increasingly difficult to get that littlebit of help which enables them to retain their independenceand quality of life. Pressures on budgets mean that SocialServices can provide only for people with critical and substantialneeds, and there is very little available for people who needa little bit of flexible support to enable them to keep going.Older people are often willing to pay for services, but theyneed services which they can trust, are reliable and areshaped by older people.Where these services do exist, they have often been developedin the voluntary sector with time-limited funding. As a result,they are often short-lived.One of the strongest messages from older people both locallyand nationally is the importance of these services to olderpeople’s quality of life. The recent Joseph Rowntree FoundationOlder People’s Inquiry into That Bit of Help found that olderpeople value these services, which enable them to retain choice,control and dignity in their lives and to have a life worth living.