COPE Galway Meals4health
Meals4Health produces and home delivers fresh ready meals suited to the dietary needs of older people
FEAD Programme
The Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD) is an EU-wide programme to help people take their first steps out of poverty and social exclusion.
Helping Hands at Home
Helping Hands at Home is a volunteer programme which supports older people to remain living at home independently and to improve their quality of life in a number of ways: -Practical help & support with housekeeping -Reducing isolation through befriending -Information & Advocacy as needed
Here Am I – A Collaborative Arts and Online Communication Programme
Here Am I is a collaborative arts and online communication programme, which has supported older people impacted by isolation in Galway City to make their own self-expressive film and sound projects during Covid-19 restrictions. The programme also provided a light-hearted and supportive social outlet for people to learn basic online communication skills (Zoom, Email and WhatsApp) while engaging in creative practices.
Reaching out to Older People -Staying Connected
This initiative allowed for the purchase of Acorn smart tablets which were configured to support internet access needs of older people. Digital adoption is a significant challenge for many older adults and consequently this has limited the effectiveness of the public and commercial sectors that endeavour to serve them. Age related accessibility and design limitations, digital literacy and attitudes to technology are key contributors to this reluctance to embrace digital. As public and commercial services are moving online to increase efficiencies and reduce costs, the digital divide is increasing. Those not connected are becoming more socially and economically isolated. Isolation and loneliness have a proven causal impact on health and wellbeing. The ACORN is a smart tablet based solution, purpose-built to solve this problem through facilitation and simplified digital adoption for senior citizens. It achieves this through age-friendly, accessible design, interactive help tools and content tailored to the user. It offers easy access to the online world of communication and commerce. The company supplying the ACORN tablets provides customisation of each tablet for the user, they add local content and links that are of relevance to each user. Once the links are built in they can be added dynamically i.e. even after the users have received the ACORN. It will update automatically.
Read Together online book clubs for adults
Three online book clubs for adults were established, hosted by a local author and facilitated by Galway Public Library service.
TIME to Care
Time to Care is a phone befriending programme, delivered by volunteers, which reaches out to older adults who are feeling isolated.