Commission on Care for Older People | Reference Group

In fulfilment of the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future (2020), a Commission on Care for Older People was established and held its inaugural meeting on 21^st March 2024.

The Terms of Reference of the Commission commit to the establishment of ‘a Reference Group of non-governmental and civil society organisations and other key stakeholders working in the area, including those with lived experience’ to ‘engage, in an advisory capacity.  On June 18^th, 2024, the Reference Group for the Commission on Care for Older People held its inaugural meeting. Catherine McGuigan, Chair of the Reference Group, welcomed Reference Group members to this important event.

The work of the Reference Group will be advanced through plenary national meetings, which will be convened bi-annually, and will also include thematic focus groups.

Two national plenary meetings have been held so far:

18^th June 2024 where the topics discussed were Home Support and Other Community-based Health and Social Care Supports for Older People and the

8^th October 2024 where the topics discussed were Long Term Residential Care and General Practice/Primary Care.

Pictured above are Commission on Care members; Dr Lucinda Dockeray, Ita Healy Chairperson of the National Network of Older People’s Councils, Professor Alan Barrett, Catherine McGuigan, Cathy Reynolds & Professor Christopher Nugent, who attended the recent meeting on October 8th.

Two online Focus Groups were held on the 9^th & 25^th September to discuss General Practice/Primary Care and Models of Supported Living – Housing with Supports.

The work of the Commission on Care and the Reference Group is continuing, and we expect the Output Report from 18^th June Plenary to be produced in Q3 2024.