Older learners
Older learners are those aged over 50. Most learners in the "third age" (50-74), are working part-time or have retired, but are still relatively healthy and active. However some learners in the "fourth age"(75+) are dependent on high levels of personal care, whether in residential settings or in their own homes.
There were 80 Transformation Fund Projects targeting older learners. They enabled people to:
- connect with others - People Brands - Kingston,CHANT
- keep active - PAPA - Physical Activity Peer Activator
- take notice of the world around - Book Bite; Turner Contemporary
- keep learning - A New Learning Adventure; Artsdepot
- give to others - The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery;Canterbury Museum
Many of the Transformation Fund projects made a real difference to the lives of individual older people, and to the communities in which they live.
- Older people want to learn not only for their own pleasure and well-being but to contribute to society, whether by strengthening family ties, helping others with parenting skills, providing public performances or building local history resources.
- The work in care homes opened new horizons for residents and care staff, helped people to overcome depression, and escape, if only briefly, from dementia.
- Barriers between old and young can be broken down: "My vision is for integration and community, and this was happening before my very eyes! There were all these people from different cultures and ages. You don't get these opportunities; there are not a lot of chances for integration." (People Brands, Kingston)
Most projects working with older learners depended on a few enthusiasts, and on partnerships between organisations. Making modest amounts of resources available to such enthusiasts can unlock a vast pool of untapped talent.
Learning can:
- give older people a sense of purpose and structure to their lives;
- help them to remain socially engaged and to contribute to society; and
- support them in dealing with the special challenges of this phase of life, such as managing finances and health.
It would be a mistake to assume that people get more alike as they get older. Learning for older people needs to:
- challenge stereotypes and recognise diversity;
- encourage older people to be active citizens and contributors to society; and
- help people find purpose and meaning in their lives in retirement.
The population of the UK is getting older, and life expectancy continues to rise. After 50, people begin to leave the labour market because of illness, age discrimination or caring responsibilities. Yet after that point, most people can expect to live a further 30 years, most of them in reasonably good health.
Learning can help to maintain individual well-being and enable older people to carry on contributing to society but a policy focus on learning for employment has closed down many of the courses which older people used to attend. The numbers of older people in public adult education programmes have halved over the past few years.
Studies have shown that making learning available to elderly people in care homes can bring a range of benefits to residents and cost savings to institutions: Informal Adult Learning for older people in care settings | NIACE
Our Findings
Web Links
Learning through life
Summary of the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning's main report 'Learning Through Life'.
Don't stop me now
The Audit commission's report, Don't stop me now: Preparing for an ageing population, July 2008.
A good place to grow older: learning and innovation from local government
This publication outlines recognised innovative practice from councils around the country developing a better future for their older residents. The contributions, from the councils themselves, tell the stories of the challenges faced and the lessons learned.
