Dublin City Council and Age Friendly Ireland have launch the Dublin City Age Friendly Strategy. The move is the latest step in making Ireland one of the first age-friendly countries in the world, where older people are valued and their needs are considered.
The Dublin strategy represents a framework for multi-agency partnership aimed at making Dublin city a great place in which to grow old and ensuring that all Dubliners are respected and valued, regardless of age.
The document targets 9 key domains including safety, health, outdoor space, buildings and transport, and sets out action points which include:
- Appointing a dedicated Garda with responsibility for older people in every Garda station in Dublin
- Introducing high-visibility, targeted area Garda patrolling in neighbourhoods with a high density of older people
- Rolling out a cross-agency partnership programme designed to support older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible
- Establishing a network of age-friendly GP practices in Dublin
- Creating the country’s first age-friendly hospital at Beaumont Hospital
- Providing learning opportunities for older people
- Hosting the world’s first international age friendly universities conference in 2015
- Creating guidelines to promote age friendly workplaces
Dublin City Council is one of 26 local authorities throughout the country who have signed up to the Age Friendly Cities and Counties programme, a World Health Organisation initiative which is being spearheaded here by Age Friendly Ireland. It is expected that the remaining 6 local authorities will have launched or committed to launch an age friendly strategy by mid-2015, making Ireland one of the first age-friendly countries in the world.
The Irish Age Friendly Cities and Counties Programme is based on the World Health Organisation model which encourages communities to support and enable people to age actively by developing policies, services and structures which recognise that older people have a wide range of capabilities and resources. The programme defines an age-friendly city as one which anticipates and responds to the needs and preferences of older people, respects their decision, protects the most vulnerable and promotes inclusion. The initiative is being spearheaded in Ireland by Age Friendly Ireland, a non-profit organisation funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and hosted by Dublin City Council.
The programme commenced in Ireland in 2009, with Louth becoming the country’s first age-friendly county. To date, 26 local authorities have signed up to the initiative and it is expected that by mid-2015 all 31 local authorities will have launched or committed to launch an age friendly strategy, making Ireland one of the first age friendly countries in the world.
