Preparing for the future is often something people put off thinking about. This autumn sees Dorset County Council launch an adult social care campaign called ‘Prepare to live better‘.
The campaign aims to educate people about the changing landscape of social care and encourage them to make provisions and plans for their future care needs.
Dorset County Council’s Cabinet member for Health and Care Jill Haynes said:
“Prepare to live better is all about encouraging people to stay active and keep as independent as possible.
“We naturally become more independent as we progress through life. But as we get older, it is even more important to stay independent.
“When it comes to adult social care we want to help people stay in their own home for longer. By thinking about the future and preparing for the costs of care, you can have more choice and control over the care you want.”
Eight-five per cent of people aged 51 to 75 have no plans for how they will pay for their care. One of the hardest things is knowing when to talk about care, but it’s never too early to have those conversations with family and friends.
In Dorset we have a high number of older people who are isolated and lonely. By coordinating the efforts of social care, health and other agencies, we are striving to help people remain happily independent in their own homes and able to make informed choices about their support needs.
Staff will be out and about over the next few months visiting towns across the county and talking to people about planning for their future. You can find out more about living better at dorsetforyou.gov.uk/livebetter