<div>Reminder Panorama Mon. 24th August '09 - 8.30pm On struggles of elderly people re. losing their wardens in sheltered housing schemes Should be worth watching.</div>
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<div>Unfortunately it clashes with a talk at this year's Book Festival "Age and Society" Talk is led by Irma Kurtz and chaired by Sheena McDonald.</div>
<div>The description talks of how, in ten years time, over half the UK population will be over 55; how medicine ensures that most of us can live into our 80's But what is the role of older people? do they have one?</div>
<div>Irma investigates growing old - it's pleasures and griefs and questions how society will deal with the dilemma of ageing.</div>
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<div>An interesting relevant talk. Unfortunately we know how society is dealing with the needs of an ageing population. Their priority is to privatise and offer these needs to Co.'s that can make a profit out of them.Not meeting even basic physical needs is a consequence of this UK wide - indeed Europe and Canada wide policy.</div>
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<div>If meeting basic physical needs aren't a priority, then we can forget society meeting emotional, social, spiritual needs.</div>
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<div>In Eve. News Wed. Aug 19th , there's an article"Council Chiefs Spend £15,000 a day on Consultants" The total bill is £5.5million - a 4% fall on previous year. The Dept of Health and Social Care spent £31,284 in 2008 and <em>£136,911 in 2009</em></div>
<div>So when other Dept.s were spending less they were spending more </div>
<div>This was to employ David Bolton and Gerry Graham to modernise the homecare service.</div>
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<div>From their point of view, of course, it's money well spent. Their modernisation programme is saving money. But we know the cost in terms of need,quality of care; conditions and pay of staff in the private sector (not that Council pay and conditions are great for homecarers)</div>
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