Services for older people
We work with other local organisations to deliver quality services and we involve senior citizens in helping to improve the quality of life for older people living in the London Borough of Barnet. If you are over 65 and feel that you or your carer need help because of age or frailty, social care services provided by the London Borough of Barnet may be able to help you.
There are many ways to help older people get the most out of life:
- keeping active - There are many ways for Barnet's older adults to stay fit and active, including free swimming, instructor led walks and activities such as yoga and dance across the borough.
- keeping healthy (external link) - Being proactive about staying healthy is important, and schemes such as the Expert Patients Programme (external link) can help older people with various long term conditions to do this. Information about ways to keep warm in winter,and keeping cool (external link) in hot weather is also available to help prevent avoidable illness. The Alzheimer's Society (external link) can give help and advice to people living with dementia, their families and carers.
- keeping safe - The London Fire Service (external link) can visit you at home to carry out a fire safety check and provide free smoke alarms where necessary. There is information on advice on falls prevention to help keep you safe in your home, Assist (alarm services), as well as equipment such as Telecare being available.
- help with transport - Help available includes the Freedom Pass, Blue Badge, and the Travel Voucher Scheme.
- Social activities - There are a wide range of social activities that older adults in Barnet can get involved in, whether this be trips to the local library, joining a lunch or social club, or getting involved in a local befriending scheme.
- home improvements - Help with small repair jobs and minor adaptations around your home is available from several local organisations.
- money matters (external link) - Barnet has a Joint Visiting Team who can visit you at home to talk about benefits you may be entitled to and other money worries. Barnet Council can also provide you with information about housing and council tax benefits you may be entitled to.
- housing options - If living in your own property has become a struggle, you can find information about different options available to older people in the borough.
Getting involved
There are lots of ways that you can make your voice heard and get involved in shaping services:
- The Older Adults Partnership Board is a multi agency group set up to improve the health and well-being of older adults (aged 65+ year), and oversee and plan the health and social care services available to them in Barnet.
- Safeguarding Adults Board User Forum - please contact the Safeguarding Adults Co-ordinator on 020 8492 5470 for more information
- Barnet 55+ Forum
- Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are a new way to give local people a say in their health and social care services.
Useful publications
Help Yourself Guide
‘Help yourself’ is a free guide for people who are 55 or over living in the borough of Barnet. It aims to help older people get the most from life.
It is full of information on a wide range of topics including leisure activities, health, money matters and support for carers. This guide is produced by Barnet Council in partnership with NHS Barnet.
- Help yourself guide 2008
(PDF: 1.6MB)
Services for Older Adults
This booklet provides information about council services available in the London Borough of Barnet to help older people and explains how you can access these services. It also gives information on the services provided jointly by Barnet Council and local health services, and services on offer from voluntary organisations.
- Services for older adults - booklet (PDF: 584KB)
For a hard copy of the above publications, please contact the Communications Officer for Adult Social Services:
- Tel: 020 8359 4579
- Email: adultsocialservices@barnet.gov.uk
A full list of newsletters and booklets produced by Adult Social Services can be found on the Adult Social Services Publications page.
Strategy documents
- Older Adults Strategy:'Living Longer, Living Better' 2006-2009 summary (PDF: 502KB). Last updated: March 2007.
- Older Peoples' Commissioning Strategy 2008-2017 'Independence, Choice and Control' (PDF: 256KB)
This sets out the commissioning intentions of the London Borough of Barnet and NHS Barnet for services for older people over the period from 2007-2017. This Commissioning Strategy also includes a summary.
Useful Organisations
There are many local organisations who can offer advice and support to older people in Barnet, covering all areas from benefits to counselling and help at home. See our useful organisations for older adults page for further information and contact details.
Other useful links
Comments, Compliments and Complaints
Adult Social Services home page
Email this pageLast modified by: Dawn Rowe on 28/09/2009