Heléna Herklots has worked in the field of ageing and older people for over 35 years, starting by working directly with older people in day centres and day homes, then moving to influencing public policy, campaigning for change, and providing support services for older people. Heléna Herklots has consistently sought to change the way society views ageing and older people, and in her current role as the independent Older People’s Commissioner for Wales she continues to innovate to transform the world to be a better place to grow older.
The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has a statutory remit to protect the rights of older people and promote the provision of opportunities for, and the elimination of discrimination against older people in Wales. Heléna
Herklots has leveraged the position’s mandate to:
- Directly engage with older people and older people’s groups to enable their experiences and views to be heard;
- Influence the policy and practice of government and public bodies, including the Welsh Government, local authorities and health boards in Wales, and the UK Government;
- Provide advice, assistance, resources, and guidance to challenge stereotypes about older people and ensure their rights are upheld;
- Capture evidence and commission research to fill gaps in data about ageing and growing older; and
- Develop partnerships to support implementation and action.
Most significantly, Heléna Herklots has influenced the development of the Welsh Government’s Strategy for an Ageing Society to ensure a strong focus on tackling ageing and making communities more age-friendly. She
has also secured the Welsh Government’s commitment to publish a national plan to prevent the abuse of older people – the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. All in all, Heléna Herklots demonstrates that
strong legal frameworks and structures that address older people’s rights and needs can radically accelerate work to foster healthy ageing – if the right leaders are in place to utilise them.