Grieving through words that speak.
From today until December 8th the annual Grief Awareness Week is held. It is ’ a dedicated period for individuals, organisations, and communities to come together to acknowledge and address […]
Belonging demands compassionate action.
Belonging and what it means not least for older people has been a common theme in my blogs and talks over the years and yet again it’s a subject that […]
Still breathing: time for television to grow up.
I cannot be the only person who has had a life-long fascination with television. I can still remember the first time we got a colour television at home which like […]
Service at the heart of remembrance: a reflection.
Today is Remembrance Day and with current global events there is an added poignancy and relevance to a day which focuses on remembering those who sacrificed their lives for others […]
It’s time to imagine better: making a new social care reality happen.
I have been through in Edinburgh a fair bit this week and on one day found that I had a lunchtime hour to spare on Princes Street – I then […]
When a plan prepares for failure: the crisis of social care in Scotland
When a plan prepares for failure: the crisis of social care. We are all of us used to the art of planning. Whilst there are occasions and moments in our […]
Knotted words : stammering love. A reflection
I’ve been spending the last few days in Skye where as many of you know my family originally came from and where I still have close relatives. It is always […]
Before the dawn: anticipating loss.
In just under a month on the 1st November the working group which published Scotland’s Bereavement Charter for Adults and Children will be holding a webinar entitled ‘The Space Between: […]
Homeless in older age.
This coming Tuesday (10th October) is World Homeless Day. It is also a day on which for some time World Mental Health Day has been held. The occurrence of both […]
A place to belong: ageing at home. A reflection for the International Day of Older Persons.
Whenever I am with a group of people who come from outside Scotland one of the commonest questions I get asked – as I am sure we all do – […]
Inclusion happens when you use your hands: a reflection.
I have been thinking a lot in the past week about inclusion and what really makes people feel that they belong, are valued, heard and taken seriously. I am fortunate […]
Give me your hand: the season for dementia priority.
I’ve been thinking a lot about dementia this past week in no small part because Thursday (21st) is World Alzheimer Day which is an annual opportunity for the global community […]
The alienation of older age: the time of older age has come.
I am writing this a few hours after the end of the Global Ageing Conference which has been taking place in Glasgow over the last few days. The event was […]
A waiting game of disrespect: a summer of failure.
Next week brings the return of the parliamentary process in both Scotland and Westminster. Our MSPs will come back together after a summer of book festivals, talk shows and podcasts […]
The ageing of design: beyond functionalist benefit.
I am sure I am not the only person who is fascinated by the worlds of art and design. I have always admired and appreciated the skills of individuals who […]
How ready for Winter are we? An Autumn reflection.
My late mother used to say that the seasons changed when the schools went back. With the passage of time, I have come to realise the truthfulness of such observation […]
Ageing is for all ages: a reflection.
I was chatting to my 9-year-old daughter the other day about the Global Ageing conference and events which are coming to Glasgow in a few weeks. She turned to me […]
A horizon beyond our own.
I read recently that both because of the cost-of-living crisis but significantly because of the severe environmental changes which we have witnessed across Europe this year that the way in […]
The power of friendship.
Tomorrow is International Day of Friendship which was created over a decade ago by the United Nations to underline the critical importance of friendship to human well-being and to society. […]