Cities and Counties Programme Making Ireland a great country to grow old in Conn Murray Limerick City and County Council

Age Friendly Societies Age Friendly programmes are about creating societies we all wish to be part of The process of Ageing affects us all regardless of circumstance i.e. The person pushing the buggy faces challenges everyday The person in the wheelchair faces challenges everyday Today gives an opportunity to outline an approach under the theme of Ageing that is now operating throughout all local authority areas in Ireland

The Need to Respond: People are living longer and.. 80% of people acquire a disability from the ages of Over 65 population will increase 250% by in 3 new borns will live to 100 Over 80 population will increase by 400% by % of this population are active Implications for: Pensions, Health and Housing

A Global Response A World Health Organisation Vision Local Authority Led in Framework for Developing Age Friendly Communities Ireland’s National Programme started in 2008 in Louth Methodology devised using a Design & Build approach Dublin Declaration signed 2011/2013 Critical Success Factors

What’s Different? New Thinking, New Approaches. 1. Participation - Older people find solutions to issues. -Help us determine priorities with positive meaningful engagement 2. Efficiency -Sharing learning’s, adopting models of good practice. -Demonstrating cost effectiveness, responsiblisation i.e. A quick description of what this term means

What’s Different? New Thinking, New Approaches.. 3. Collaboration - Working across public, private & NGO sector 4. Implementation - Measuring improved outcomes for older people and people with disabilities 5. Partnership - Key Stakeholders working collaboratively on an interagency basis 6. Innovation - Thinking differently and finding solutions

A Common Approach... The World Health Organisation Themes Outdoor spaces and buildings Transportation Housing Social Participation Respect and Social Inclusion Community Support and Health Services Civic Participation and Employment Communication and Information

What is an Inclusive Age-Friendly City or County? Step 1 Local Collaboration Alliance formed by leaders and decision makers from: - the local authorities, health and social services, Gardaí, transport,service providers, NGOs, business and academics Step 2 Local Consultation - Consult with service providers and older adults - Form an Older People’s Council - Make a plan - Implement real change in imaginative and cost-effective ways

What is an Inclusive Age-Friendly City or County? Step 3 Joined up, real change in the following areas: - supports to stay at home - better public spaces and parks, - transport that meets needs, - safer places, - more opportunities to participate, - better health services - new opportunities to volunteer to make neighbourhoods better places for all

Age Friendly Cities and Counties Programmes The following examples: - Demonstrate core programme related principles: - Shared response to a shared problem - Involve collaborative/multi-agency response; - Born out of citizen engagement and co-design - Voice of Older People influenced all approaches

Age Friendly Cities and Counties Programmes The Challenge… - Reconfigure resources to provide for more effective and equitable access to front line services - - Parallel empowering of ‘client’ towards greater self management - ‘User’ not always a passive recipient of intervention but is often a co-designer - Emphasis on low or zero cost

Cúltaca (Brokerage) Age Friendly Cities & Counties Programme Health Route Age Friendly Business Crime Prevention Ambassadors Housing

Test Beds for Innovative Solutions...Key Features Cúltaca (brokerage) - Provides a wide range of social and care supports to enable people to continue living in their own homes - 2 full time staff, 50 volunteers Clients received visits Health Route - 47% missed hospital appointments. - Costly/Limited access to Health Appointments. - Targeted 600 patients

Test Beds for Innovative Solutions...Key Features Age Friendly Business. - Age Friendly Business Plan - Businesses provide discounts for older people - Recognition Scheme - Targeted 140 businesses. 2 National franchises, 2 Shopping centres and 6 Chambers of Commerce Crime Prevention Ambassadors - Set up programme in 3 counties, with 37 volunteers. -Volunteers Garda Vetted. Trained by the Garda National Community Policing Office - Volunteers visited 230 older people in their homes.

Outputs & Outcomes Cúltaca (brokerage) - Providing services to 120 extra people per year - Effecting hospital avoidance/preventable residential care admission; Promoting early discharge - Savings : €1.2 million per year Health Route - Significant reduction in missed appointments - Reduction in health services and transport costs e.g. - €88 per patient for contracted services - €48 per patient under Patient Transport Services (PTS) budget

Outputs & Outcomes Age Friendly Business Plan -Training- Economic importance of AF principles for business - Positive bottom line impacts recorded Crime Prevention Ambassadors - Increase knowledge, risk awareness, enhanced coping/ response skills - Visits assisted older people to feel safer in their homes. - Potential to impact / address loneliness social isolation - - Provide an additional and important local signposting/brokerage role.

Social and Economic Outcomes Efficient reconfiguring of key services on part of key service providers Bottom line cost savings/revenue generation opportunities for services Recognise older people, as consumers, play a vital role in supporting local businesses and services, thus keeping communities vibrant. Holistic Age Friendly framework each area can put their own blueprint on model Flexibility to respond in creative / tailored ways to issues of local importance Parallel potential to ‘scale-up’ and share with national network when evidence is gathered

Adaptive Housing... Older people want to stay living in their own home and community... I want to stay living in my home as long as possible. Raheny is my home, whenever I go away, I can’t wait to come back. But in appropriate accommodation... And to feel Safe... Even when I am on my own, I lock myself in and make sure all the doors and windows are closed. There isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t hear ‘ about a break in’. The stairs are terrible; physically I find it hard to climb them I’m on my own, what happens if I have a bad fall!

Response: To meet the needs, we need to think differently Locate new developments close (walking distance ) to services and include adaptable design Integrate technology into developments, enhancing safety and security, health monitoring, comfort and social connectedness Integrate social supports into developments; access to information, find non health service based solutions and reduce demand Design of accommodation can be beneficial plus accompanying care and support packages are crucial to supporting quality of life. Social Research Centre

Becoming an Age Friendly City or County... The Process Consult with Older People Engage other key organisations Establish Older People’s Council Complete 1st Draft Strategy Check strategy reflects priorities Secure Alliance approval Finalise and launch strategy Affiliate to WHO Global Network Secure approval of Local Authority & Chief Executive Secure agreement of critical agencies Secure consent of political representatives Create an Age Friendly City Alliance Hold a public launch Begin implementing the Strategy Plan Forums Establish Age Friendly Business and Service Providers forum Monitor & review implementation 1 START 2 CONSULT 3 PLAN 4 ACT

Age Friendly Cities and Counties January 2009 January 2015

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