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Facts at a Glance
- The proportion of people in Ireland aged 60 years or older is projected to increase from 15% of the overall population in 2002 to 28% in 2050. 1
- The greatest increase will be in people over 80 – the “oldest old” – a group that is expected to increase in size by 66% by 2035. 2
- In a World Health Organisation healthy life expectancy survey, Ireland was ranked 22nd for males and 23rd for females out of a total of 23 countries surveyed, in terms of time spent in poor health. 3
The Situation in Brief
Ageism undercuts many aspects of older people’s lives in the Republic of Ireland. Older people in Ireland have limited access to a range of appropriate care services. Their acute care needs too often end in a crisis situation where limited options are then available. People who require long-term care frequently end up being placed in nursing homes, which is not always the appropriate setting for the person or their family, and is certainly the choice most older people least wish to make.
Services for older adults in the Republic of Ireland have developed slowly and related policy issues have not received adequate attention or funding. There is also a shortage of academic leaders, trained specialists and qualified caregivers, as well as a lack of monitored standards in care facilities. The country has good end-of-life care through hospices that provide patient-centered holistic care. However, there are still some parts of the country with inadequate or no hospice or palliative care services and palliative care services are still primarily available to cancer patients.
Ageing Programme Goals
The goals of the Ageing Programme in the Republic of Ireland are as follows:
- Ensure older adults are viewed and treated with respect and dignity.
- Make certain older adults are empowered to shape their own destiny.
- Harness the capacity of older adults for the good of society.
- Ensure support and health systems for older people, including end-of-life care, are excellent.
- Make sure there is ongoing innovation and a pursuit of excellence in the field of ageing in knowledge creation, education and training, and policy development.
- Ensure a core of leaders in ageing exists within relevant professions and among elders.
Ageing Resources
- Age Action Ireland, www.ageaction.ie
- Age & Opportunity, www.olderinireland.ie
- Third Age Summerhill Active Retirement Group, www.thirdage-ireland.com/helpline.htm
- The Irish Senior Citizen's Parliament, www.seniors.ie
- The National Council on Ageing and Older People, www.ncaop.ie
More Facts At a Glance
- Only 3.5% of older adults take advantage of home help services, compared to 13% in the United Kingdom.
- Four out of five older adults are completely independent in daily living.4
- More than 85% of older people own their own homes.5
- Depression is the most common mental illness among older people.6
Continue to read about our Ageing programme in action in the United States »
Footnotes
1, Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
2, Source: Fahey, 1995
3, Source: World Health Organisation, 2001
4, Source:
www.olderinireland.ie
5, Source:
www.olderinireland.ie
6, Source:
www.olderinireland.ie