This document discusses Ireland's Age Friendly County Programme, which aims to make counties more livable for older adults. It works at both the national and municipal levels. At the national level, it establishes an Ageing Well Network with members from government, businesses, non-profits and older adults. It also coordinates several national initiatives. At the municipal level, counties follow a 12 step process that includes establishing forums, conducting studies, creating strategies and affiliating with the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities. The program seeks to help older adults feel included, stay in their homes, lead active lives and feel safe. Stakeholders can contribute through initiatives like time banks, dementia programs and social activities. Lessons learned include

1. Building Ireland’s Age Friendly
County Programme
Debra O Neill
18th September 2012

2. OVERVIEW
Rationale for the Irish National programme
How it works at National level
How it works at Municipal level
Successful initiatives
Lessons learnt – Collaboration & Benefits of
NGO’s and Citizen involvement with
Government.

3. IRELAND
Population 4.5m
11.5% = 65+
In 30 years 65+ will double
and 80+ will quadruple
Important state pension IRELAND
and other benefits
Implications of Economic
crisis

4. RATIONALE FOR THE
AGE-FRIENDLY COUNTY
PROGRAMME
1st Quality of life is unnecessarily poor for too
many older adults
2nd
Population ageing needs new approaches
and long-term planning to tackle
opportunities & challenges
Need to articulate a new ‘paradigm’ for
3rd
approach to ageing

5. AGEING WELL NETWORK
OBJECTIVE 1 OBJECTIVE 2
75 Members TO BE A CATALYST
TO REFRAME THE
FOR CHANGE
AGENDA ON AGEING
Ass Secs Service
Public Business Older People
Government Providers Key Public
Sector Community National Academics
Departments (private Figures
Agencies Organisations
& voluntary)
NATIONAL INITIATIVES
• Age-Friendly Programme
• Business of Ageing Age-Friendly
• Silver Technology Programme

6. National Age Friendly Programme
Sarah Wetherald
Brigid Butler
Debra O’Neill
Catherine McGuigan
Pending
WEST
DUBLIN
NORTH-EAST
Fingal
DCC
Sth DCC DUBLIN MID
LEINSTER
SOUTH

7. The Dublin Declaration

8. 12 STEP APPROACH
3rd PHASE
Going Live
2nd PHASE  Finalise and launch
Strategy
Getting Started  Affiliate to the WHO
Global Network
 Establish Service
1st PHASE  Hold public launch Providers and
Preparation  Establish Older Business of Ageing
People’s Forum Forums
 Begin Base-line Study
 Agree with Local  Complete county wide
Government Manager consultation
and others  Complete & consult on
 Secure political support 1st Draft Strategy
 Convene Alliance

9. Where Age Friendly fits within our Structures In Local Government
Local Government Development Board
ECONOMIC CULTURAL SOCIAL
AGE-FRIENDLY Municipality
ALLIANCE
ECONOMIC SERVICES PROVIDERS
FORUM FORUM
OLDER PEOPLE’S
Age-friendly FORUM Ageing-in-place
business
wealth health
INNOVATIONS

11. 6 CORE OUTCOMES
Older People:
1. Feel they belong and have opportunities for personal
development and for enhancing the communities in which
they live;
2. Can stay living in their own homes and communities;
3. Lead healthy and active lives for longer;
4. Are able to get to where they want to go, when they want to
go;
5. Live in places where the social and physical environments
are conducive to being out and about;
6. Feel and are safe in their own homes and their communities

12. WHAT AGE FRIENDLY STAKHOLDERS
CAN DO
WISDOM
TIME
BANKS

13. Dementia Friendly Kilkenny City
Service Providers Forum
Physical
Health
Dementia Specific
Programme via
Sports Partnership
and Siel Bleu
Mental
Creativity Awareness Health
Dementia Programme
using MOMA Model
Memory Memory Clinics
with Butler Gallery and Early detection
Arts Programmes Matters Cross Agency
Training
Social
Befriending Service
plus Social Outings
including Cafe and
Dancing

14. It is possible to generate public
interest and participation

15. Older People working with Local
Government Arts Department,
Street Maintenance Department,
work with Voluntary organisation
and City Authority

16. Capacity to respond is limited by the process
we currently engage
•Get the support of government partners early in
the process
•Building on existing strengths, programs, and facilities
of the City is a strategy that resonates with government
leaders, especially in times of fiscal constraint
•Promoting a vision that infuses age-friendliness
into planning across multiple domains engages
a wide array of sectors and partners
•The continued involvement of older adults is essential
•Adopt top down and bottom up strategies

17. LESSONS LEARNT IN IRELAND
 Design and build’ -
keep adapting  Ensure
accountability and
 Focus alliance on engagement with
jointly planning for the political
agreed outcome structure
 Engage the local
heroes and reflect local  Honour and engage
‘distinctiveness’ early with those who
have achieved a lot
 Build credibility with
early and visible wins

18. Thank you - спасибо
, Merci, diolch yn fawr,
, tack, Gracias