Age UK

The work and support we provide at Age UK covers a number of different services, including:

Information and advice

Growing older doesn’t come with a manual, so if you need information or advice on anything from health to housing, call our free national information line on 0800 169 2081. It's open 365 days a year from 8am to 7pm.

We also publish impartial and informative factsheets and advice guides.

Campaigns

Our Public Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns teams raise awareness of the difficult situations faced by many older people and keep ageing issues in the public eye and in parliament.

The issues we campaign on can vary, from calling for reform of the care system to trying to improve the bus route in our local community. Our campaigns offer lots of opportunities for us all to get involved and be heard by those who have the power to make our lives better.

Commercial products

Most of us want to remain independent - living in our own home for as long as possible, and keeping doing the things in life that we love the most.

Our products and services are tailored to the needs of people in later life. We offer travel, motor and home insurance; funeral plans; gas and electricity packages; and aids for the home, such asstairlifts and personal alarms.

Training

We are a successful national training provider that reaches over 10,000 learners annually. Our training services have received recognition from Ofsted and the sector skills council Skills for Care.

Our work involves the tailored provision of innovative learning solutions designed to address the needs of local people of all ages, professionals and employers throughout the UK and internationally. Specifically we offer:

• Apprenticeships, qualifications, short courses and skills development programmes for success at work, particularly in the social care and health sectors.
• Employment acquisition initiatives, ‘planning for retirement’ services and learning in later life.
• Specialist support for providers of services to people in later life.

Research

Age UK is the only UK charity to focus research funds exclusively on later life.

That's because we believe that we should all be able to enjoy good health in later life, free from the diseases and disabilities associated with growing older and the consequences that they can bring about, such as social isolation, anxiety, frailty and loss of independence.

The research we fund is providing answers and we've already seen significant breakthroughs in dementia, falls prevention, stroke and incontinence, to name a few.

The Disconnected Mind project

The Disconnected Mind is a research project that aims to discover how our thinking skills change with age, and what we can do to protect our cognitive health in later life. The project is funded by Age UK.

Find out more about The Disconnected Mind