This essay aims to cover issues related to advocacy needs with the elderly and further examine some significant difficulties on a thematic basis while such needs are being met. Generally, older people are considered to be people who are over 65 years old. Statistics show that there are over 10 million people (1 in 6 people) in the UK who are over the age of 65 and it is estimated that this will double to around 19 million by 2050. to 66.2 million of the total population of the Kingdom United, these elderly people who make up the majority of the entire UK population, are still negatively labeled as dependent, useless, poor, etc. While there are numerous pieces of legislation and policies to safeguard older adults the legal rights they deserve, it is only limited to specific circumstances (e.g. mental health) where older adults are ignored and subordinated in society. Therefore, they should definitely be entitled to more support from the UK government, especially for advocacy needs, the term “advocacy” will be defined and explained in the next part of the essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Over the past 30 years, there has been a growth in diversification in forms of advocacy, while this essay will focus primarily on one-on-one encounters -a professional advocacy. A broad definition of advocacy would be one that involves actions involving citizens to defend themselves, promote their interests, represent others and provide them with support to secure and promote their deserved rights and needs on an individual or collective basis. However, advocacy is inevitably seen as a highly principled activity. The UK's Older People's Advocacy Alliance (OPAAL) ensures advocacy principles in broad terms such as empowerment, inclusion and independence. Therefore, advocates should go beyond any interests, encourage people to freely express their wants and needs, and safeguard their deserved decisions that affect their lives to the greatest extent possible. This part of the essay will now examine advocacy needs with older adults on a thematic basis. As mentioned above, the elderly within the society remain very limited to various circumstances, the descriptions of the elderly are mostly negative. Lorraine Green (2010) argues that widespread anti-age discrimination among older adults significantly exaggerates the problems faced by people as they age. Green defines ageism as “the systematic stereotyping and discrimination against individuals in relation to the aging process.” The first relevant problem would be stigmatisation. The Center for Confidence and Wellbeing (2015) identified the following stereotypes related to aging: “Older people are: needy, passive, cannot learn new things, and less useful than their younger counterparts.” Labeling theory holds that once a label is attached to a person, there is a tendency for older adults to see themselves in terms of labels that reduce their self-esteem. Older people may be unwilling to express their needs (e.g. crime prevention needs, inadequate public transport, inadequate and substandard housing) or even decrease their motivation to participate for their deserved rights, resulting in social exclusion. When older adults remain powerless in the face of the civil rights agenda, advocacy is needed to help combat ageism and other forms of discrimination. Professional advocacyindividual could help older adults to assert their needs, translate their beliefs or thoughts into actions, which could similarly stimulate uninvolved stakeholders by bringing to light issues related to the harmful impacts of stigma and preventing further prejudice against of older people It is doubtful whether there is a set of “standard and adequate rules and frameworks” that best protect older people from any unfair treatment. A survey found that 'only 26% of respondents believe older people in the UK have a good quality of life, while 28% of respondents believe their standard of living is good in terms of their financial situation.' The above shocking findings interpret the cruel fact that older people in the UK are at risk of infantilization, as they are protected by their younger colleagues or by society itself regardless of the older people's will, making them feel dissatisfied with their current situation. they also felt that their standard of living was good in financial terms. The studio is made up of half of elderly people, professionals who work with the elderly and carers. They indicate that "older people are collectively richer than before, but with growing inequality, they do not feel happier than before." Instead, even older people become richer, their decision-making power does not increase proportionally. In some cases, older people are disempowered and excluded from decision-making, forced to move to a nursing home regardless of their wishes because their younger counterparts believe the nursing home could provide better care for their parents, however it is stripping away a person's well-deserved authority. There is no doubt that these younger counterparts mean no harm, but acting out of ignorance, protecting the weak is honorable, but sometimes overprotection will cause problems for others. Therefore, advocacy is needed, helping elders express their free will, letting younger counterparts provide them with what they prayerfully desire. In light of this, the think tank ChentreForum has called for an "elderly commission" to defend the rights of older people. The Forum's chief executive, Stephen Lee, said that, "by giving older people a more formal voice in Whitehall, we would see more notable progress in age-proofing services and policies more responsive to the challenges and opportunities of a maturing society." .' Through advocacy, the voices of older people could be conveyed to the highest levels of government and publish approaches to address their problems at the root. When it comes to reality, despite all the clear advocacy needs mentioned above, the feasibility of advocacy also comes into play. request. Instead, the British government, especially during the New Labor period, has highlighted a shift in developing a legal and policy framework aimed at promoting advocacy in meeting the needs of older people in specific circumstances and situations, such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 , Older People's Commissioner for Wales and Care Act 2014 etc., however statistics show that older people still do not feel satisfied with their quality of life because their needs cannot be met. The reason is that in most cases older people are very distant from people in power, do not feel well informed or are even unable to identify themselves as a target group when "important" people talk about them. Therefore, although there are a number of approaches implemented to meet the needs of older people, “service users” do not recognize themselves as the target group for such measures. Sarah Rochira of The Elders; TheCommissioner for Wales comments that "my report shows that older people are often unaware that this type of support is available and are often ineligible to receive it even if they are entitled to it, which is simply unacceptable." The only way to achieve this requires the support of an independent advocate who can speak from their point of view and advocate for their best interests.' Advocacy with older people, particularly one-to-one professional advocacy, could act as a bridge between older people and the community as those who are independently paid could help older people to identify as 'service users' and increase their level of awareness towards the elderly. accessible resources around them, make sure they are included in the core activities of communities as some of them don't even understand them basic rights living as British citizens. As stated above, there have been signs of some progress in both government policies and attitudes towards older people, especially during the New Labor period. The Mental Health (Wales) Regulations 2008 introduced the role of Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs), aimed at providing help to people who have problems expressing their opinions and ideas, assisting them in exercising their rights or expressing their own point of view, in which older people also benefit. However, in the wake of the Conservative Party's rise to power in 2010, they vigorously promote austerity measures, with the aim of cutting public spending, which directly impacts the effectiveness of advocacy. The organization of advocacy and campaigning indicates that it is becoming more difficult to provide full support than in the past. One study shows that more than 80% of advocacy workers said it becomes more difficult for clients (e.g. seniors, people of color) to obtain representation and advocacy. The cut in public spending also means a cut in the workforce, as the age of the population increases despite the number of service personnel decreasing, and this means that members working with the elderly do not have enough time to prepare advocacy work and any follow-up actions, thereby increasing the workload of these members and reducing the effectiveness of advocacy. As stated above, older people now live in very poor conditions, some of them are labeled negatively and at risk of social marginalization, while others are disempowered and infantilized, “enjoying” life regardless of their will. Therefore, advocacy should be considered a top priority in government decisions, calling for urgent action to restore spending on public health services, so that the voice of older people can be conveyed to those in power, launching policies that protect equality between the elderly and the unhealthy. member of society, upholding their deserved justice and citizenship. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, there seems to be clear evidence that older people are undoubtedly with the needs of advocacy. This was demonstrated by the helplessness, stigmatization and ignorance faced by the policies of the elderly. Compared to other vulnerable groups, such as children and disabled people, the elderly are mostly absent from planning when the "important people" have thought about the just society. People normally assume that children are innocent, which requires support to protect their "precious naivety", while disabled people are disadvantaged without/