Atlantic believes that all older adults have the right to health and economic security as well as to advocate for a better quality of life for themselves and others. In the three countries where the Ageing Programme operates – Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United States – older adults contend with social, structural and economic barriers that limit their full participation in society, often resulting in large numbers of older people with low incomes and poor health. To improve the lives of these older adults, Atlantic believes it is essential to identify and address specific structural barriers and support older adults and others who are challenging them and advocating for change.
The Ageing Programme focuses on key issues confronting older adults in each country, including poverty, gender, racial, religious and ethnic discrimination, frailty and geographic location. The programme engages a range of partners including older adults themselves, particularly those with low incomes and chronic illness. Specifically, the Ageing Programme supports efforts to:
- Strengthen the voice of older adults and more actively involve them in advocating on their own and others’ behalf
- Extend and protect the rights of older adults to health and economic security through lasting policy change
- Improve the health and economic well-being of older adults by strengthening organisations and identifying influential champions for ageing issues
- Sustain the capacity of organisations focused on ageing issues to respond to future challenges.
