Ishares Age Pop Discussion Threads

[grupo guitarlumber] 11/4/2009 15:12

Eye 'compensates for blind spot'
Partially sighted and registered blind people can be taught to read and see faces again using the undamaged parts of their eyes, say experts.

When only the central vision is lost, as with the leading cause of blindness, age-related macular degeneration, peripheral vision remains intact.

And patients can be taught to exploit this, the Macular Disease Society says.

It has developed a training scheme and is calling for professionals to adopt the system across the UK.

The macula is a small area of the retina at the back of the eye made up of specialist cells which process central vision as well as the fine detail of what we see.

" Our scheme has transformed lives - helping people to relearn basic skills they thought to have lost for good "
Tom Bremridge Macular Disease Society
People with macular degeneration rarely go totally blind but even those with a relatively mild version of the disease cannot drive and have difficulty reading, recognising faces and watching television.

But studies show people can be taught to use their peripheral vision to fill in the gaps, using "eccentric viewing" and "steady eye techniques".

When someone with central vision loss looks directly at an object it may disappear, go faint, blur or distort. But when they look above, below or to one side of it, they see it more clearly.

Blind spots

Eccentric viewing helps people find exactly where to focus their gaze to make their vision better.

Once this position is identified, they can be taught how to read again using the steady eye technique.

Instead of moving the eyes from left to right to read a sentence, the person should keep their eyes completely still and move the text to the left so that each word in turn moves into the area of best vision.

" All UK patients with central vision loss should have the opportunity to try eccentric viewing "
Mr Winfried Amoaku Royal College of Ophthalmologists
Macular Disease Society chief executive Tom Bremridge said: "Eccentric viewing works by making the most of vision that remains.

"Our scheme has transformed lives - helping people to relearn basic skills they thought to have lost for good.

"We have 86 volunteer trainers, all with central vision loss themselves, who have trained more than 310 people in their own communities, and our waiting list of nearly 1,200 people grows every day.

"We are keen that other service providers - social services, private practitioners and primary care trusts - now take up the baton."

Mr Winfried Amoaku, of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, said eccentric viewing could help some patients with central vision loss "cope with everyday tasks such as identifying coins while out shopping, watching television and reading".

"The trouble is, we don't know who will benefit until they have tried the training.

"All UK patients with central vision loss should have the opportunity to try eccentric viewing techniques to see if they can benefit," he said.

Marek Karas, of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, also supported the research advances.

"Although there is still ongoing discussion among experts over the best form of training for this type of therapy, we welcome with interest these latest developments."

Between 25 and 30 million people worldwide have macular degeneration. But as the population ages, this figure will rise.

It is estimated that the number of people affected will triple by 2025.


Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/04/10 08:07:55 GMT

[waldron] 23/1/2009 11:10

Vitamin D 'is mental health aid'
Vitamin D, found in sunshine and fish, can help stave off the mental decline that can affect people in old age, a study has suggested.

UK and US researchers looked at 2,000 people aged 65 and over.

They found that compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels, those with the lowest were more than twice as likely to have impaired understanding.

Alzheimer's charities said the research was interesting, but more work was needed to understand vitamin D's role.


Vitamin D is important in maintaining bone health, in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and in helping the immune system.
People obtain the vitamin from exposure to sunlight, foods such as oily fish, and foods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, cereals, and soya drinks.

But older people's skin is less able to absorb vitamin D from sunlight so they are more reliant on obtaining it from other sources.

Supplements

Animal and lab studies have previously suggested that the vitamin can have a beneficial effect on cognitive function.

The team from the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, the University of Cambridge and the University of Michigan, assessed people's cognition, or comprehension skills.

People who have impaired cognitive function are more likely to develop dementia.

The researchers looked at people who had taken part in the Health Survey for England in 2000.

Just over 200 had significant cognitive impairment, assessed by looking at people's attention, orientation in time and space and memory.

The study found that as levels of vitamin D went down, levels of cognitive impairment went up.

The paper will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology.

Dr Iain Lang from the Peninsula Medical School, who worked on the study, said: "For those of us who live in countries where there are dark winters without much sunlight, like the UK, getting enough vitamin D can be a real problem - particularly for older people, who absorb less vitamin D from sunlight.

"One way to address this might be to provide older adults with vitamin D supplements.

"This has been proposed in the past as a way of improving bone health in older people, but our results suggest it might also have other benefits.

"We need to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation is a cost-effective and low-risk way of reducing older people's risks of developing cognitive impairment and dementia."

Risk factor?

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Many foods that contain vitamin D, such as oily fish, eggs and breakfast cereals, are also good sources of vitamin B12, which, as previous studies have shown, can help protect the brain.

"Diet is known to influence dementia risk. The best way of reducing your risk of developing dementia is to maintain a balanced diet with regular exercise and frequent social interactions."

She added: "These findings may be significant, but much more research is needed."

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, added: "One in three people over 65 will die with dementia so research into how we can reduce risk is to be encouraged.

"There was some previous evidence to suggest that people with dementia may have a lower level of vitamin D in their blood but it was not clear if this happened after the onset of disease.

"It would be interesting if a low level of vitamin D was found to be a risk factor for cognitive problems as it is cheap and easy to remedy.

"We look forward to seeing the published results of this new research to help us better understand the potential role of vitamin D in reducing risk."

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/01/23 10:22:53 GMT

[ariane] 13/1/2009 09:38

Chronically ill elderly 'to rise'
The UK's ageing population is set to cause a huge rise in the number of older people living with long-term illnesses, campaigners have said.

Help the Aged says that by 2025 there will be a big increase in the number of over-65s with heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia.

It warned this could stretch the NHS to breaking point and called for more research into these conditions.

But the Department of Health said measures were being taken to cope.

Having analysed current disease patterns and predictions about the ageing population, Help the Aged made a number of estimates about the future levels of ill health in the elderly population.


The charity said there was likely to be a 46% rise in the number of people living with the effects of stroke, from 601,000 now to 878,000 by the mid 2020s.

And the researchers said those living with late-onset dementia would go up 50% to one million while the number of elderly people with heart disease would rise by 42% to 2.6 million.

Levels of incontinence and osteoporosis were also likely to rise by a third, while sight problems could go up by over half, the charity has claimed.

In total, more than six million elderly people could be living with a life-limiting condition by 2025 - a 45% rise, Help the Aged concluded.

These rises mostly mirror the expected increase in the over-65 population which stands at just under 10 million in the UK currently, but will reach about 14 million in 16 years' time.

And the researchers warned such a scenario could see the cost of caring for older people rise from £40bn a year to over £50bn.

'Breaking point'

Dr Lorna Layward, from Help the Aged, said: "Unless we find ways to prevent or treat these conditions, the strain on society and its infrastructure will reach breaking point.

"More attention and funding must be directed to researching the causes, prevention and treatment of the diseases and disabilities that become increasingly common with age."

But the government said it was taking the consequences of the ageing population seriously.

The Department of Health said it would soon be publishing plans for an overhaul of social care, while more money than ever was being put into research for these conditions.

A spokesman said the vascular screening programme which was being phased in from this year would save lives by preventing heart attacks and strokes.

He added: "The government is already preparing for the pressures of an ageing population."

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "An even more pressing problem among the growing number of over-65s is the widening health gap between the haves and have-nots.

"Poorer people suffer more chronic disease - and this disparity is getting worse.

"We must focus our efforts where the need is greatest."

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2009/01/13 00:11:04 GMT

[grupo guitarlumber] 09/11/2008 06:55

Extra fuel poverty funding 'will last a single winter'Tim Webb guardian.co.uk, Sunday November 9 2008 00.01 GMT The Observer, Sunday November 9 2008 Article historyGovernment funding for fuel poverty measures will fall by almost a fifth next year. Gordon Brown said in September that he would spend an extra £74m over the next three years on providing insulation and proper central heating to millions of vulnerable people. But he did not reveal that the bulk of this extra cash was being spent this winter, leaving little for the next financial year and no more for the third year.

This means that government funding of the 'Warm Front' programme will plummet from £345m this year - already less than last year's figure - to £285m from April. Those low-income households whose heating has broken down or needs replacing will be worst hit. Currently, there is a three-month waiting list to have new boilers fitted. But next winter, households could have to wait nine months, industry sources believe.

Jenny Saunders, chief executive of National Energy Action, said: 'We will run into serious problems next April. There is already a huge pressure on the budget. We will be looking to the Chancellor to make sure spending is boosted.' A government spokeswoman said: "Warm Front was never conceived as an emergency service and given the demand it's a reality that there is a waiting period.'

[waldron] 15/7/2008 17:29

July 15, 2008 - 5:58 PM
Keeping a healthy brain
Image caption: There has been an "exponential" growing interest in brain research over recent years, according to Ann Kato, co-organiser of the Geneva forum (teamwork)How do nicotine and sleep boost memory, why are some people's aging brains in better shape than others and what are the ethical challenges of new brain research?
These are just some of the burning questions and developments being discussed at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Geneva, which runs until Wednesday.

Some 5,000 neuroscientists are attending the four-day conference, organised by the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and hosted by the Swiss Society for Neuroscience.

The meeting is focusing on four main areas of research: brain development and learning; stem cell therapy and spinal cord repair; memory, recognition, speech, hearing, sight and perception; and depression, stress and hormones.

The large number of young scientists and journalists in Geneva is a reflection of the "exponential" growing interest in neuroscience, explained Ann Kato, professor of neuroscience at Geneva University, who also presided the forum.

"Neuroscience touches every aspect of our lives – our personality, memory and behaviour," she told swissinfo. "People are extremely interested in knowing what's happening to their brain and the difficulties this could produce for their health in the future."

Huge advances have been made in neuroscience in recent years, benefiting from technological developments such as magnetic resonance imaging, which has become much more powerful and precise.

"Some 20-30 years ago we couldn't understand what was happening to our brains as we didn't have the tools, but now because of imaging techniques we can look very closely into the brain to see which parts are involved in which functions," explained Kato.

Switzerland boasts one of Europe's top institutes, the Centre for Biomedical Imaging in Lausanne, which is currently trying to create a high-resolution map of the most important fibres in the human brain.

"We also know a great deal more about genes so we can trace people who've had family genetic problems...and now that we have stem cells there is huge interest in regenerative medicine," said Kato.

Sleep on it
As the world's population gets steadily older, memory and ways of maintaining a healthy brain are becoming hot research topics.

Swiss scientists this week presented research that showed that a good night's sleep had a dramatic impact on the way the brain functioned the next day.

"Our results revealed that a period of sleep following a new experience could consolidate and improve subsequent effects of learning from the experience," said lead researcher Sophie Schwartz from the University of Geneva.

Other startling ways of boosting memory were also revealed.

A team of London scientists presented clues for the potentially therapeutic benefits of nicotine on learning, memory and attention. Its effects could form the basis for new drugs to stave off Alzheimer's disease.

And presenting her research into how older minds stay young, Michela Gallagher from John Hopkins University in the United States explained how her team had discovered a whole set of molecular and cellular changes in rats that help maintain a healthy brain over time.

"We were surprised to find that the brain is programmed to allow for successful ageing by a series of adaptations in cells and molecules...they are changes that take place as we age normally that allow the brain to perform optimally at older ages," she explained.

It is hoped this new approach will lead to better understanding how to promote successful ageing.

Ethical approach
A German team also presented an emerging hypothesis that neural stem cells help keep the brain healthy and active. Stimulating new neurons might be a way to deal with psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and dementia.

Another emerging issue is the ethics of neuroscience - neuroethics. New technology has the potential to predict not only neurodegenerative diseases but also to delve into our thoughts and reveal patterns of behaviour.

"This is causing a huge debate," said Kato. "People are saying how far should we go with this over issues like insurance, law or at work; one day you might have to give information about your genes and then later about your brain."

"The excitement of neuroscience is its fast pace. There are some fantastic opportunities right ahead of us, but we must not ignore some of the dangers of misuse that run in parallel," said Judy Illes from the University of British Colombia, co-founder of the Neuroethics Society.

swissinfo, Simon Bradley in Geneva

FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN NEUROSCIENCE SOCIETIES (FENS)The Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) represents national European neuroscience societies and several monodisciplinary societies, which have some 17,000 members.

FENS was founded in 1998 at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Berlin and is the successor organisation of ENA, the European Neuroscience Association.

Over 5,000 scientists attended the sixth Forum of European Neuroscience in Geneva, which hosted 3,700 "poster presentations" by doctorate students and 500 individual conferences.

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SWISS NEUROSCIENCESwitzerland has a fast-growing neuroscience community: the Swiss Society for Neuroscience has more than 1,000 members.

According to the American journal Science, the Lake Geneva region is considered to be the third most important study centre in Europe for neuroscience behind Oxford and Cambridge in Britain.

There is close cooperation and interaction between Geneva and Lausanne universities and university hospitals, and the Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, with more than 80 neuroscience research groups.

Zurich also has a joint neuroscience centre creating synergies between some 440 neuroscientists, or 100 research groups, at the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, and the Zurich University.

Switzerland was chosen to host the sixth Forum of European Neuroscience based on the strength of its neuroscience research and infrastructure.

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LINKSSixth Forum of European Neuroscience (
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (
Swiss Society for Neuroscience (
Neuroscience Centre, Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (
Lemanic Neuroscience (
Brain Mind Institute, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (
Centre for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne (
Geneva Neuroscience Centre, University of Geneva (

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URL of this story:

[waldron] 19/6/2008 20:09

Ageing muscle 'given new vigour'
Scientists have found a way to give old, tired muscles a new lease of life.

They tweaked biochemical signals in mice to boost the ability of the animal's stem cells to repair damaged tissue, restoring its youthful vigour.

The breakthrough raises hopes of new treatments for age-related degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The study, by the University of California, Berkeley, is published in the journal Nature.


We are one step closer to having a point of intervention where we can rejuvenate the body's own stem cells so we don't have to suffer from some of the debilitating diseases associated with ageing
Dr Morgan Carlson
University of California, Berkeley

Adult stem cells play a key role in helping to repair the mature, differentiated cells that make up the body's working tissues.

The Berkeley team identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells carry out their repair work.

They were then able to modify the way stem cells reacted to those biochemical signals to revive the ability of muscle tissue in old mice to repair itself nearly as well as the muscle in the mice's much younger counterparts.

Using adult stem cells to rejuvenate tissue would eliminate the ethical controversy surrounding the use of cells taken or derived from embryos.

Researcher Dr Morgan Carlson said: "We are one step closer to having a point of intervention where we can rejuvenate the body's own stem cells so we don't have to suffer from some of the debilitating diseases associated with ageing."

Regeneration capacity

The Berkeley team compared muscle regeneration capacity of two-year-old mice - comparable in age to a human aged 75-85 - to that in two-month old mice, comparable to a human aged 20-25.

As expected, they found the muscle tissue in the young mice easily replaced damaged cells with healthy new cells, while areas of damaged muscle in the older animals was full of scar tissue.

But when they effectively disabled the "ageing pathway" by blocking production of a key protein called TGF-beta, the level of cellular regeneration in the older animals was comparable the much younger mice.

However, the researchers warned that closing down the ageing pathway completely could run a risk of many health problems, for instance the ability to suppress cell division is key to controlling the development of cancer.

Lead researcher Dr Irina Conboy said the key was to find the right balance between the biochemical pathway which promoted healing, and that which promoted ageing.

"We need to find out what the levels of these chemicals are in the young so we can calibrate the system when we're older.

"If we can do that, we could rejuvenate tissue repair for a very long time."

Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Since Alzheimer's causes brain cells to gradually die, research into ways to regenerate them could eventually lead to revolutionary new treatments for this devastating disease.

"More research is needed as this study was conducted on muscle tissue rather than the complex nerve cells in the brain and there are many health problems associated with the suppression of cell division."

Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society, said the research was interesting as it had recently been shown that stem cells in the brain might be able to help create new tissue after damage has been done.

"This new research gives further hope that our own stem cells can be used to help regenerate cells in the body."

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2008/06/19 16:25:16 GMT

[waldron] 10/8/2007 07:26

Prevention 'may not help elderly'
Use of medicines to prevent disease may not prolong or improve life in elderly people, say doctors.
Drugs such as statins, prescribed to combat heart disease, may simply switch the cause of death to cancer or dementia in older people, they warn.

Writing in the British Medical Journal they said fear of discrimination meant doctors were offering preventive treatment regardless of age.

Experts agreed more evidence on such treatments in the elderly was needed.

Statins are the mainstay of the government's goal to cut rates of heart disease by 40% by 2010.


Statins reduce heart attacks and strokes, even in the elderly
Professor Peter Weissberg

Around 40 million statins are prescribed annually in the UK, a figure that is rising.

GPs are offered financial incentives through their contract to prescribe them to as many high-risk patients as possible.

But Dr Dee Mangin, a GP in New Zealand, and London GP Dr Iona Heath said it was worrying that there was no upper age limit for assessing the risk of heart disease.

And if the aim is to prevent untimely death, what effect is it having in people who have already lived longer than the average, they questioned.

Cause of death

One large study of statins in people aged 70-82 years old found that in elderly women deaths from heart disease fell in those treated with pravastatin but overall there was no difference in mortality as rates of cancer increased.

Changing the cause of death without the patient's informed consent, is unethical, they argue.

Dr Heath said: "If you said I can give you this drug and it will reduce your risk of dying from a heart attack, people would have a different reaction to if you said I can give you this drug which will reduce your risk of a heart attack but increase the risk of you being diagnosed with cancer or dementia."

She said previous research had shown people were much more afraid of dying from cancer because of the pain or dementia because of the indignity than from heart disease.

"You have to die of something," she added.

Instead, she argued, money should be spent on interventions which genuinely relieve suffering such as cataract operations, joint replacement surgery and personal care for people with dementia.

But Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said prescription of statins in the elderly should be driven by clinical judgement and patient consent rather than by targets.

"When treating older people, quality of life may be more important than quantity.

"The BHF agrees that there should be more research into the benefits of preventative treatments for the elderly."

But he added: "Statins reduce heart attacks and strokes, even in the elderly.

"Since the consequences of either can be devastating the BHF believes that elderly patients should be offered the benefits of statins."

A spokesperson for Age Concern said people should receive the treatment they needed regardless of age.

"What's most important is that skilled clinicians give a thorough assessment of the patient and take a holistic approach to take account of all other conditions and medications."

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2007/08/09 23:14:26 GMT

[waldron] 07/8/2007 05:50

Hypertension drugs 'aid elderly'
An international trial of drugs to lower blood pressure in the over-80s has been stopped early because the results were so impressive.
Researchers, led by Imperial College London, found the drugs significantly cut strokes and heart-related death.

The Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial (HYVET) was the largest of its type, with 3,845 patients taking part.

Previous smaller trials suggested the drugs produced inconclusive results when given to elderly patients.

They suggested that lowering blood pressure in those aged 80 and over cut the number of strokes, but it did not reduce, and may even have increased, overall death rates.


STROKE AND HYPERTENSION
Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the England and Wales
In 2004, 11% of deaths amongst those aged 75-84, and 14% of deaths amongst those aged over 85 were due to stroke
About one third of stroke patients die within six months of the event, the majority within one month
High blood pressure increases the chance of a blood vessel leaking or rupturing, and of a clot forming within a blood vessel - both of which can trigger a stroke

In the latest trial which began in 2001, patients with high blood pressure were either given a low dose diuretic and an ACE inhibitor called perindopril in tablet form once a day, or a dummy pill.

Lead researcher Professor Chris Bulpitt said: "Our results are great news for people in this age group because they suggest that where they have high blood pressure, such treatment can cut their chances of dying as well as stroke."

The trial was stopped last month, but definitive results will not be available for some time.

'Very important'

In the meantime, all patients who took part in the trial will be offered the option of switching to the anti-hypertensive treatment.


Because of a lack of strong evidence, there has been limited prescription of drugs to lower blood pressure in the elderly
Professor Jeremy Pearson
British Heart Foundation

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Confirming that blood pressure lowering is effective at preventing strokes in elderly people, as well as in younger people is very important.

"In the past because of a lack of strong evidence, there has been limited prescription of drugs to lower blood pressure in the elderly, despite the fact that their likelihood of stroke is substantially increased.

"This study has paved the way for elderly people to now have access to this life-saving treatment."

Dr Isabel Lee, of The Stroke Association, said high blood pressure was the single biggest risk factor for stroke, adding that about 50,000 strokes per year could be prevented through its control.

She said: "An estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year with three quarters being over the age of 65, so the trial's observations are very encouraging news for the UK's ageing population."

Story from BBC NEWS:


Published: 2007/08/06 23:13:05 GMT

[waldron] 27/3/2007 10:33

· Scientists seeks to develop commercial possibilities

Ian Sample, science correspondent
Monday March 26, 2007
The Guardian


The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications Tuesday March 27 2007

In the report below we said, correctly, that an isotope of an element was produced by altering the number of neutrons in its nucleus. We then went on to say, incorrectly, that "Whereas hydrogen has one neutron, deuterium ... has two." The hydrogen nucleus has no neutrons. It consists of one proton. The deuterium nucleus has one proton and one neutron.


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Fortifying food with specially developed proteins could make our bodies more resistant to the ageing process, according to a former Oxford University scientist.
Steaks and chicken fillets laced with rare, heavy forms of elements - "isotope-enhanced" proteins - could strengthen cells and protect them against oxidation, caused by highly-reactive particles, free radicals, that are released in the body as a by-product of biological processes in our cells. Many researchers believe free-radical oxidation is a major cause of ageing.

In small-scale studies, Mikhail Shchepinov found nematode worms - used extensively in ageing research - lived 10% longer when fed nutrients enriched with a heavy isotope of hydrogen, deuterium. An isotope of an element is produced by altering the number of neutrons in its nucleus. Whereas hydrogen has one neutron, deuterium, or heavy hydrogen, has two.

The research is untested in larger animals and many previous attempts to achieve large lifespan extensions have failed to work in rodents and other animals. Many have resulted in an increase in cancer risk.

Dr Shchepinov believes the heavy isotopes extend lifespan by making bonds within the delicate molecules inside and around our cells harder to break. "Because these bonds are so much more stable, it should be possible to slow down the process of oxidation and ageing," he said.

In the journal Rejuvenation Research, Dr Shchepinov calls for studies to investigate his proposal by making food containing enhanced versions of the crucial building blocks of life, such as amino acids, nucleic acids and fats called lipids, from heavy forms of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.

The idea received a mixed reception from scientists in the field. Some point out that deuterium is toxic in moderate quantities, while others said it would be almost impossible to eat the right amount of fortified food to have a beneficial effect. Aubrey de Grey, editor of Rejuvenation Research, accepted the proposal was tentative, but said it was too early to dismiss it out of hand. "It remains to be seen whether it can be the source of practicable therapies, but it is a prospect that certainly cannot be ruled out," he said.

Dr Shchepinov has left Oxford University and set up a company, Retrotope, to commercialise the idea.

Nick Bostrum, director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, told the Royal Society of Chemistry: "I don't expect this method to furnish the elixir of life. Don't stop eating your vegetables just yet."

[waldron] 22/3/2007 10:49

Council Tax
High council tax and rates rises are driving many of the UK's 10.4 million pensioners into poverty. Older people can't afford to spend their pensions on ever increasing bills.
On this page

News
What we want
What you can do
Frequently asked questions
News


Anna Pearson with campaigner Elcena Jeffers MBE
Help the Aged has delivered thousands of postcards to Chancellor Gordon Brown demanding that he re-instate the £200 Council Tax rebate for pensioners in his Budget speech on Wednesday.

Anna Pearson, senior policy officer at Help the Aged, comments: 'Wednesday's Budget speech gives Gordon Brown the perfect opportunity to show he is serious about pensioner poverty. Thousands of older people have signed up to our campaign calling on him to do the right thing. If he fails to reinstate the rebate, it shows a cynical disregard for every single older person who has taken the time to campaign with Help the Aged in the face of punitive Council Tax bills.'

What we want

Creating poverty – Older people's lives are at risk because they can't make ends meet.
Unfair on older people – Council Tax is based on property, not income, so older people on fixed incomes are hit hardest.
Out of step with pensions – Council Tax is increasing at double the rate of pensions.
Government handouts – A reform of the system is needed, not one-off handouts from government.
Confusing system – Muddled information is preventing older people from receiving benefits they're entitled to.

Creating poverty

For many of the UK's 11 million pensioners, Council Tax rises are more than an inconvenience. They can be a death sentence.

Unable to afford ever increasing bills, older people have to choose between paying their Council Tax, or paying for heating, clothes and food.

There are an estimated two million older people already living below the poverty line. High Council Tax increases threaten to plunge already poor older people even further into poverty.

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Unfair on older people

While pensioners are means-tested for the benefits they receive, Council Tax rates depend on the value of their property.

This leads to the absurd situation where an older couple living in their own home, receiving just £182.00 between them from their state pensions, could end up paying the same level of Council Tax as their neighbours, a young and wealthy couple with an income of tens of thousands.

The Council Tax system needs to be made fairer for older people - one based on people's ability to pay, not just where they live.



Out of step with pensions

Millions of older people receiving an already low state pension are hit hardest.

Since Council Tax was introduced just over a decade ago, it has more than doubled. In 2003 the average Council Tax rise was more than 12 per cent. In 2006 Council Tax has risen by at 5 per cent double the rate of inflation .

Yet the Basic State Pension, on which most older people depend, is increasing at only half the rate of the Council Tax. The cost of Council Tax combined with fuel bills and water rates will mean that the average pensioner pays out around half their state pension in bills.


Government handouts

In March 2005, a £200 age-related payment was introduced to help pensioners with Council Tax bills, but this was removed a year later. The increased payment can only be described as an election bribe: not least as it was announced just before the May 2005 election!

This year, this payment was removed even though no changes have been made to the Council Tax system. Thought only a radical reform will address the problems of Council Tax, Help the Aged is calling for this payment to be reinstated immediately.


Confusing system

Nearly half of pensioners entitled to Council Tax benefit aren't claiming it, because of confusing information and a lack of publicity.

The very poorest can get all of their Council Tax paid, and more than half of all pensioners can get reductions. But millions are not claiming the money they are entitled to.

Over 2 million pensioners in Great Britain did not claim the Council Tax Benefit in 2003/4. They could have made savings of around £536 a year.

More needs to be done to make older people aware of the benefits they can claim, and to make Council Tax Benefit easier to obtain.

In the long term, the whole system needs to be overhauled. It is confusing and overly complex for older people to have to pay their Council Tax, then claim benefits. They should be charged less in the first place.

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What you can do

Answer our survey
Tell us your experiences of Council Tax. You can remain anonymous, but giving us your contact details might mean your story could help our campaigns.
1. What is your current level of Council Tax, per month or per year?
2. By how much has your Council Tax increased since last year, or the year before?
3. By how much has your pension increased in the last year?
4. How has rising Council Tax affected what you can afford to buy, and how has it affected your life?
5. How do you feel about Council Tax rises, and what should be done about it?
Please email your answers to our Campaigns team

Visit your MP
Members of Parliament, Assembly Members and Members of the Scottish Parliament are obliged to hold local constituency 'surgeries' where they meet local people to discuss their problems. Use your right to speak directly to your MP, to inform them of the difficulties older people face thanks to Council Tax rises.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find out more about the impact of high Council Tax on older people?
Download The impact of council tax on older people's income (PDF) report from Help the Aged and the New Policy Institute.

How can I find out if I qualify for Council Tax relief?
Find out what you're entitled to by visiting the benefits info section of this website, or download our handbook, Can You Claim It? (PDF).

You can also get a free benefits health check by calling SeniorLine, our free welfare rights advice service.

[waldron] 22/3/2007 10:47

Charity dubs Gordon Brown's speech a 'do nothing Budget' for poor pensioners
21 March 2007

Gordon Brown has delivered what is likely to be his last Budget speech in Parliament today.


Responding to the speech, Mervyn Kohler, Head of Public Affairs at Help the Aged, comments:

'There were few green shoots for pensioners in the Chancellor's equinox Budget. Instead we have heard more self-congratulation about the economy and growth, but little about high fuel costs, soaring Council Tax bills and dwindling local services which older people rely on.

'The Basic State Pension continues to be overwhelmed by the rise in essential costs, and pensioner poverty persists after a decade of Gordon Brown's tenure. The UK's economic budget may well be sustainable, but the individual budgets of the country's older people are not.

'This inaction will consign many older people to yet more scrimping and saving'

'The speech contained nothing new on tackling fuel poverty nor any increase in Winter Fuel Payments to offset rises in energy costs - this inaction will consign many older people to yet more scrimping and saving.

'Help the Aged shares the anger which will be felt by many pensioners at the Chancellor's failure to reinstate the £200 rebate to help with Council Tax bills. It is now clear to all that the introduction of this discount two years ago was a pre-election bribe.

'This Budget is a profound indictment on another year of warm words instead of action.'

'This Budget was a missed opportunity to address the wider needs of our pensioner population and is a profound indictment on another year of warm words instead of action

Help the Aged has recently presented the Chancellor with thousands of postcards from older people demanding the reintroduction of the Council Tax rebate - read the story in Council Tax

[grupo guitarlumber] 21/3/2007 12:23

Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 March 2007, 11:54 GMT

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Council tax report urges reform

The review says some taxpayers should get an automatic rebate
People who live in the most valuable houses in England should pay more council tax, a review of local government funding has recommended.
Sir Michael Lyons' report calls for a new top rate council tax band, along with a new bottom rate to cut bills for those in the cheapest properties.

The savings limit for pensioners should be higher and council tax benefit be paid as an automatic rebate, it adds.

Sir Michael said: "Council tax is not 'broken' but is seen as unfair."

'Support and understanding'

In the short term, he says the burden on pensioners should be eased by raising their savings limit to £50,000.

The review also calls for council tax benefit to be paid automatically as a rebate, so that £1.8bn in unclaimed benefit reaches the poorest.

In addition, it says councils should be able to charge householders for how much rubbish they throw away.

In the future ministers should consider ear-marking a fixed proportion of income tax to local authorities, Sir Michael said.

KEY SHORT-TERM RECCOMENDATIONS
Automatic rebate for those entitled to council tax benefit
Raise the savings limit for pensioners to £50,000
New powers for councils to charge for domestic waste and levy a supplementary business rate in consultation with business
End capping of local authorities
Improve transparency of the tax system
Provide incentives for local authorities to promote economic growth

He said they should also consider giving councils the power to levy a local tourist tax.

Sir Michael added that future governments could consider introducing local income tax or "re-localisation" of the business rate.

However, he said these were issues for the longer term and such reforms would need "greater public support and understanding than currently exists".

Earlier, he told BBC Breakfast that council tax is "workable", but said bills for the cheapest homes should be cut and those for properties worth over £2.5m raised.

KEY MEDIUM-TERM RECCOMENDATIONS
Revalue council tax
New bands with higher bills for those in more expensive properties and lower bills for those in the cheapest
Consider reserving a fixed proportion of income tax for local government
Give councils the power to levy a "tourist tax"
Improve incentives within the grant system

Public sympathy for the idea of a local income tax may not be sustained once voters realise how much it will cost them, he added.

'Profligate councils'

Shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman said the report was a "tax bombshell" for families.

She said: "Nice neighbourhoods and the rising value of homes will all mean higher council tax bills.

"Regular revaluations will turn council tax into a home improvement tax - taxing your patio, your conservatory and garden."

Blair Gibbs from the TaxPayers' Alliance said the review was a "missed opportunity".

He added: "It gives the green light to profligate councils to spend and waste even more of our money by raising council taxes and introducing a raft of new ones.

HAVE YOUR SAY
No council tax system can ever be fair to everyone

Adam, Sutton Coldfield


Send us your comments

VisitBritain said it opposed the tourist tax proposal.

A spokesman said: "Accumulative taxes on tourism already make Britain the second-highest taxed country in the world for tourism."

At the weekend Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly ruled out any revaluation of council tax bands before the next general election.

Chancellor Gordon Brown and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott commissioned the report in 2004.

[waldron] 18/3/2007 18:56

Huge rise in care-at-home fees
Steve Doughty, Daily Mail
16 March 2007

Frail old people are facing huge hikes in the fees they pay for care that enables them to stay in their own homes.

Some will see the price of a meal and company in a council-run day centre go up sixfold while help with cleaning and dressing at home will rise by as much as 50%.


A survey by the Public Finance journal found that average increases are 23% in fees for home care such as cleaning and washing; 9% for meals delivered to homes; 10% for travel for elderly people; and 31% to attend day centres.


The day care average rise is more than ten times the current 2.7% rate of inflation.


The increases follow warnings from town hall chiefs that 300,000 people who currently get free help and meals are likely to have to pay in future. Means tests run individually by each council are being tightened as demand from older people increases while money available diminishes.


Councils also warned yesterday that the NHS financial crisis is hitting social services. They accused health trusts of 'costs shunting' to try to make council taxpayers foot the bill for services which should be provided by the health service.


The town hall umbrella body, the Local Government Association, said four out of ten social services departments found their finances were declining as they tried to help old people no longer given NHS hospital or nursing care.


In its Dignity for the Elderly campaign, the Daily Mail has highlighted the growing difficulties faced by old people who need help to live at home. Gordon Lishman, director of the charity Age Concern, described the increases as 'astonishing'.


He said: 'The impact for many older people could be devastating. Some of the most vulnerable will not have access to services they need.'


Among the rises proposed are day centre fees in Richmond, South-West London, from £5.20 to £20 a day; home care in Lambeth, South London, from £7.55 to £17.50 an hour, and day centre fees in Cumbria of more than 300%.

[waldron] 17/3/2007 12:00

Personal health: Growing older, and adjusting to the dark
By Jane E. Brody

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
How well do you see at night? If you're over 50, probably not as well as you think, no matter how many carrots you eat. The typical 50-year-old driver needs twice as much light to see as well after dark as a 30-year-old. Yet few of us compensate adequately for the reduction in nighttime acuity that occurs in the aging eye.

Changes in driving habits are crucial, and so are adjustments at home to prevent the all-too-common accidents that land older folks in the hospital.

In a normal healthy eye, light enters through the pupil and passes through the lens, which focuses it and directs it to the retina on the back of the eye, where images form.

The retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors: cones and rods.

Cones enable us to see when it is light. They give us color vision and allow us to see details like the words on this page. Rods are very sensitive, especially to motion. They provide only black-and-white images and thus are critically important for night vision.

If only we had the eyes of a cat.

Compared with the human eye, a cat's eyes have more rods than cones, which helps the cat see in the dark. Cats also have elliptical pupils that open and close faster and can become larger than our round ones. In addition, cats and some other nocturnal animals have a mirrorlike membrane, the tapetum, on the back of their eyes, which reflects the light passing through the rods back through them in the opposite direction. This "double exposure" allows cats to see well in near darkness.

The human eye changes gradually with age, but the changes are critical, as the Harvard Health Letter described in its March 2006 issue.

In dim light or darkness, eyes adapt by widening the pupils to let in as much light as possible. The iris (the colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil) contains tiny muscles that control the size of the pupil. As you get older, these muscles (like most in the body) weaken and do not respond as well to the need to let in more light.

The result is a small pupil when you try to see in poor light. It's as if your eyes were still young but you were wearing sunglasses at night.

There is also evidence that as we age we lose more rods than cones.

In the young eye, rods outnumber cones by nine to one in the part of the retina called the macula. But an autopsy study of older adults found that while the cones remained intact, almost a third of the rods in the macula had been lost.

The less responsive muscles in the iris also affect the eye's ability to adjust when the intensity of light changes, such as when a car with its headlights on approaches and then passes.

In older eyes, this phenomenon, called dark adaptation, takes longer, which means you see less well in the dark after being in the light, and vice versa. The diminished number of rods may be a factor, but in addition, the light-sensitive pigment in the rods regenerates more slowly in older eyes.

Another common change in older eyes is a gradual clouding of the lens - the formation of cataracts - which makes the lens less transparent and reduces the amount of light reaching the retina.

Cloudy lenses also scatter light. This can cause temporarily blinding glare from, for example, the headlights of an approaching vehicle at night.

Traffic deaths are three times greater at night than during the day, though only 20 percent of driving is done after dark. Fatigue and alcohol are two important causes, but experts say the biggest factor is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver's reaction depends on vision, and we were just not engineered to see very well in the dark.

The American Automobile Association and the National Safety Council, among others, have published critically important suggestions for improving vision when driving at night, however old you are.

The No. 1 recommendation is to protect your eyes during the day by wearing sunglasses (neutral-gray lenses are best) and a hat with a brim when the sun is shining. Bright sunlight bleaches the photoreceptors and lengthens the time it takes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. While it normally takes half an hour for full adaptation to the dark, being in bright sunlight for two or three hours can delay this adaptation by hours.

"The longer you stay in the sun, the worse your night vision gets," the association warned.

Another recommendation: Clean the windshield of your vehicle, inside and out, at least weekly. As with a cloudy lens, a grimy windshield scatters light and intensifies glare. (You may be surprised by how dirty the inside of the windshield gets.)

Clean the headlights as well; just a thin layer of grime can reduce the light they cast by about 90 percent, which in turn reduces how well a driver can see. And make sure the headlights are properly aligned.

Most new cars these days have rear- view mirrors that adjust automatically at night to eliminate the reflected glare of headlights behind you. If not, make sure to adjust the mirror manually to night setting. But keep in mind that this makes the vehicle behind you appear farther away than it really is.

If you wear glasses, make sure they are clean. Grimy glasses, like a grimy windshield, scatter light. When getting a new prescription, make sure the lenses have an antireflective coating. Though I don't legally need glasses to drive, my ophthalmologist suggested I wear them, especially when driving at night, to enhance my distance vision.

Avoid looking directly at approaching vehicles at night, even when their lights are dimmed. Instead, direct your eyes about 20 degrees to the right, toward the white line on the right side of the road, and use your peripheral vision to see ahead for those few moments.

Reduce your speed at night and increase the distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you. You should be able to stop inside the area illuminated by your headlights. If you overdrive your headlights, you create a blind crash area in front of your vehicle.

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone broke a bone tripping over something in the dark.

Night lights - the kind that plug into wall outlets - are inexpensive and highly preventive, especially for older people who make nighttime trips to the bathroom.

In unfamiliar surroundings, such as a hotel or friend's home, leave a light on in the bathroom all night and close the door partway. Or travel with a night light.

Keep paths and stairways clear of objects, including slippers.

Loose rugs are accidents waiting to happen. Get rid of them or fasten them securely to the floor with carpet tape.

Finally, have your eyes checked at least once a year. If you have cataracts, have them removed sooner rather than later, and see how much brighter the world can be.