ADVICE is available for older people who are unaware of the support available to them.

The Harrogate district has a higher than average percentage of residents aged 60 and over, and population projections indicate the trend will continue.

The fastest growing group of people includes those aged 85 and over.

The council's Older Persons' Champion, Councillor Jim Clark, is to chair a district-wide planning for older people event.

"For the first time ever, all the agencies involved in caring for older people have come together to develop a co-ordinated action plan," he said.

"During a major review of the services we each provide for our elderly population, it became obvious that we need to address some key issues.

"The lack of a single provider of care and help, or even a single source of information about provision means that there may be some confusion and a lack of awareness among older people about services that are available for them."

A number of bodies with responsibilities for older people have been developing a draft district-wide action plan, which will be finalised at the event tomorrow at St Michael's Hospice.

The aim is to involve all users and carers in better planning and delivery of services and to finalise the action plan.

"As well as looking at a range of accommodation issues, we will also be looking particularly at the provision of the full range of practical home care support services," said Coun Clark.

"The review and development of the action plan has been a major part of the process for providing better care for older people.

"Having identified all the priorities, we now have to identify actions to enable those priorities to be addressed in the most appropriate way."