Bishopston & Ashley Down candidate David McLeod recently made a visit to Horfield Lodge Residential Home to speak with the residents there. It was a great opportunity to talk to some of the older people in our community and hear their thoughts and concerns. They were interested to find out what the Labour party in Bristol’s plans are with regards to the older generation; our view is that Bristol should be a caring city where getting older is a positive prospect.

At the Bristol Older People’s Forum Mayoral hustings which took place last week, Labour’s candidate for Mayor Marvin Rees described his plans for care within the city. This included:

• Increasing the number of home care workers and community nurses, helping us to avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
• Introducing a Bristol Ethical Care Charter to ensure that home visits last longer than 15 minutes.
• Leading on raising standards by providing a coherent package of training for private and community care partners.
• Paying our home care workers the Living Wage (the real one, not George Osborne’s fake one) and travel time.
• Working directly with voluntary sector partners to support carers, preventing them from becoming isolated, and ensuring that they have access to respite, educational and social opportunities.
• Establishing a speciality dementia home care service, and providing dementia training for individuals, community groups and businesses.
• Increasing accommodation and support for people who need extra care, such as those with dementia.

Overall, Marvin concluded that these measures will help to ensure that people in Bristol can age with dignity and without fear or loneliness. If successfully elected to Bishopston & Ashley Down on Bristol Council in May, Tom Brook and David McLeod will continue to work with the local community and the Council to ensure that the older members of our community are catered and cared for with respect and dignity.