Nana Wereko-Brobby, Jewish Care
In the run up to the launch of our Pearls of Wisdom campaign, we spent Saturday at The Battle of Ideas festival at the Royal College of Art, London, where big thinkers from a range of fields debated topical issues facing society today. Our ageing society was high on the agenda.
The most engaging talk of the day (well for us) was ‘Ageing and Medicine: Quality versus Quantity’. Now that we are living longer and are faced with a lengthy retirement period, there is a new focus on ensuring quality of life and making these years count. The discussion focussed on the increasing importance of quality of life and ‘well-being’. It’s not just about longevity, but how we spend these years and what sort of place in society we continue to occupy in later years. Is it enough to just keep breathing or is it fair to expect a richer lifestyle? Do older people want to be seen as ‘old dears’ or valued for their experiences and opinions?
Jewish Care Pearls of Wisdom 