Introduction

At one level the objective of the Local Age Friendly Programme can seem simple; to create the kinds of communities in which older people can live autonomous and valued lives. The ongoing difficulties with Covid have highlighted the value of active community support. However, achieving that goal is much more complex and involves a myriad of agencies, which include public, private, and not-for-profit. The key challenge is to funnel the energy and resources of the various organisations to best effect towards meeting that aim.

Happily, people are living longer and as a result the work of the Older Person’s Council and the Alliance has grown significantly. The Older Persons Council is a vital cog in the wheel and is at the centre of many of the initiatives. The Council has a key role in assisting the formulation of strategies and in identifying priorities and is a vital voice in articulating the concerns and views of the older age cohort. The Kildare Age Friendly programme is part of a national effort and great progress has been made co-ordinating programmes across the country.

Kildare Older Person’s Council Executive are a group of volunteers aged 55+ who engage with and inform local agencies who provide services to older people, and through their national network, make submissions on policy areas that affect the more senior of our citizens. They are very dedicated and give freely of their time and energy to keep the spotlight on our older population and their needs. I acknowledge and praise their efforts on our behalf.

This Booklet is one project that was completed, and a directory is on its way. There are interesting and informative articles on self-care, good nutrition, and exercise, all geared towards the older person. There are some tasty recipes to try out, poetry and thoughtful pieces to feed your mind, songs to lift your spirits, and some puzzles and quizzes to distract and amuse you. There is important advice on safety and security and a list of useful contacts too. Hopefully, a little something for everyone.

You can access the OPC information booklet here, or download it in the resources section for Kildare.

Contacts