The Ageless Road show – a regular roadshow populated by organisations relevant to the older person

Description

The Ageless Roadshow Programme is a recurring positive social gathering designed for older adults to connect with relevant organizations, both voluntary and state-run, that support healthy and fulfilling living in their later years.

This initiative features a dedicated roster of organizations that participate regularly, ensuring consistent support and a familiar presence for attendees. The roadshow includes a variety of state, community, and voluntary agencies, all contributing to enhancing the lives of older adults.

Some of the organisations that have populated the Roadshow over the last 12 months are as follows:

• Torc Community & Family Resource Centre
• Alzheimer’s Ireland
• Family Carers Ireland
• HSE Older Person Mental Health
• Park Run
• Sage Advocacy
• Killarney Cardiac First Responders CLG
• Heartbeat Killarney CLG
• Michael Linehan HeartSafe CLG
• MAB’s
• Alone
• Parkinson’s Association of Ireland
• Pathfinder Kerry Service
• Killarney Lions Club
• National Learning Network
• Kerry Library
• Better Balance Better Bones
• Killarney Tidy Towns
• Healthy Age Friendly Homes
• Killarney National Parks Meitheal
• Killarney Active retirement
• Fossa Active retirement
• The Home Share
• Memory Technology
• Be Active Be Well
• The Men’s Shed
• Kerry Recreation & Sports Partnership
• South Kerry Development Partnership
• Be Active Be Well

Set in a friendly and informal environment, the roadshow encourages social interaction with refreshments like tea and coffee, sparking meaningful conversations among participants. The program is open to all older adults and their family members, fostering a sense of community and inclusion.

Each month, a guest speaker, such as an optician, pharmacist, or GP, is invited to address the audience, providing valuable insights and answering questions. This feature has been a significant draw and has greatly contributed to the program’s success.

The Ageless Programme has strengthened social bonds between participants and the hosting organisations. It is designed to be inclusive, catering to those with varying levels of activity and health conditions. Whether participants are managing medical issues or living active, engaged lives, the roadshow offers something for everyone.

The title “Ageless” reflects the program’s dual purpose. For some, it signifies the opportunity to age less by engaging with supportive groups, helping them live their best lives. For others, it means living actively and presenting themselves to society where age is not a barrier to opportunities.

Over the past 12 months, the Ageless Programme has seen great success, with numerous participants and a growing network of partner organizations committed to its mission.
groupings at the roadshow, that this may help them to age less over the coming years and assist in living their best lives.

The second meaning of the title “Ageless” is that those who can live full and participative lives are presenting themselves to society and their community where their age is not relevant to the opportunities that they involve themselves in.

We have operated this programme over the last 12 months and have had a huge success with many participants attending. We also have created a wide network of partner organisations that are now invested in the programme.

Aim of Initiative

To provide older adults with choices in their community or society, enabling them to engage in positive opportunities or seek support as needed, ensuring they live their best lives into their mature years

Who is it aimed at

This programme is aimed at older people and their families within the Killarney municipal area and has a wider remit to engage with the South Kerry area. It is envisaged that another Family Resource Centre will operate this programme in North Kerry in the coming months.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Promotion of the event was critical to ensure we could build awareness of the Roadshow from the users perspective but also from the perspective of making the participating organisations aware of the event.
2. Building strong and positive partnerships with the other organisations that populated the Roadshow so that we generated mutual benefit for those organisations and indeed members of the public that attended.
3. We were committed to the project for a 12 month period initially and had established a core stakeholder grouping. This group would meet once monthly to review the previous months event and feedback from the public that attended. We then made changes to ensure that we had the best version available for the next months event. This willingness to engage, review feedback and adjust the event ensured that we now have a robust event that we are assured will be positive and have productive outcomes into the future.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Accessibility and Logistics

   Transportation: Ensuring that attendees can get to and from the event, especially those with mobility issues or lack of transportation.

   Venue Accessibility: Choosing a venue that is easily accessible for those with mobility aids like wheelchairs, walkers, or canes. We changed the venue three time to ensure that the venue worked for the older person.

   Scheduling: Finding a time that is convenient for most attendees, considering their routines and potential health issues.

2. Resource Constraints

   Funding: Securing sufficient funding to cover the costs of the event, including venue, materials, and any necessary accommodations was always a challenge but we did secure a samll amount of funding which we made go along way to bring the vent to fruition.

   Staffing: Ensuring there are enough trained staff or volunteers to assist with the event and provide individual support as needed. The need to have staff and organisational members that understood the older perosn was important and not always readily available.

3. Communication

   Trying to create awareness of teh vent was challenging. Digital platforms would be our go to for promotion however alot of the older population would not necessarily engage in such platforms so we had to be creative in getting the word out.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Health and Wellness

   Increased Awareness: Improved understanding of health issues, preventive measures, and management of chronic conditions for those that this applies to.

   Access to Services: A much stronger awareness of available health services, screenings, and wellness programs.

   Improved Lifestyle Choices: Adoption of healthier lifestyles, including better nutrition and increased physical activity.

2. Community Engagement

   Volunteer Opportunities: Information about volunteer programs, which can provide a sense of purpose and community involvement.

   Local Resources: Better awareness of local community resources and services, such as service providers, social outlets and recreational activities.

3. Social and Emotional Well-being

   Enhanced Social Connections: Opportunities to meet peers, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.

   Mental Health Support: Access to resources and support and organisations for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety & loneliness.

   Empowerment: Increased confidence and self-esteem from learning new skills or gaining knowledge.