Age Friendly City
Currently Ireland has the highest life expectancy at birth of the EU- 27. Life expectancy continues to increase in Ireland. It currently stands at 84 years for women and 81 years for men. Nationally, the population aged 65 and over has increased significantly (by 35% since 2013). This is considerably higher than the EU average increase of 17.3%.
Based on the latest 2022 Census data, the population of Dublin City over 65 years of age is approximately 79,368. This is an increase of just over 15,000 people in this age category when compared to the 2006 Census figure of 64,268.
Against this backdrop, there is a need to ‘futureproof’ Dublin City as we age – to ensure quality of life is optimized for all stages of life. The Eight World Health Organisation (WHO) Age Friendly Themes of Livability provide a framework in which to develop the strategy around Dublin City.
By working across these eight domains, through the local Dublin City Age Friendly Structures, the vision is that Dublin City will be an age-friendly city and a great place to grow old in.
The objectives of the strategy and programme is for Dublin City to become a place where all of us as we age can:
- Lead healthier and active lives for longer
- Stay living in our own homes and communities
- Get to where we need to go, when we need to
- Be enabled by the built and social environment
- Feel and be safe at home and out and about
- Have the information we need to lead full lives
- Be truly valued and respected
- Participate in social, economic and public life
- And continue to learn, develop and work
The National Office for the shared service (Age Friendly Ireland) is hosted in Meath County Council.
Age Friendly Ireland manages Ireland’s affiliation to the World Health Organisation’s Global Network for Age Friendly Cities and Communities.
Within this, Dublin City Council has a local Age Friendly Programme structures based on the 5 administrative areas across the city that manages the local age friendly programme to support older people in the community as part of a multi-stakeholder response to population ageing.
The Dublin City Age Friendly Alliance is a high level interagency group, chaired by the Assistant Chief Executive of Dublin City Council. Members include senior management representation from organisations such as Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochana, the Health Service Executive, the Education and Training Board, and the business community through the Chamber of Commerce. The Alliance is responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of the local Age Friendly Strategy.
The Older People’s Council’s [OPC’s] are a citizen-based forum that provides an opportunity for older people to work with the Dublin City Age Friendly Alliance to identify issues for older people and co-design solutions. The OPC has an elected Executive Committee that usually serves a two year term, and a wider membership base that is renewed at the Annual General Meeting. OPC representatives sit on the Age friendly Alliance and on other committees, representing the voice of older people in the community. They also feed into a National Network of Older People’s Councils which holds a National Convention in May every year.
Each local authority has a local Age Friendly Programme Manager based in the Community Section. This role is usually assigned to an Administrative Officer grade. The Programme Manager is responsible for co-ordinating all age friendly activity within the local authority and with the partners on the Alliance. The Programme Manager takes a lead role in development and overseeing the implementation of the local Age friendly Strategy. They also work closely with the local Older People’s Council to ensure that older people are active as co-design partners in any local projects and initiatives being rolled out. Dublin City utilises its 5 administrative areas for the purpose of driving the local age friendly programme.
North Central Area Niamh Reilly [email protected]
Central Area Brendan Doggett [email protected]
North West Area Caroline Dillon [email protected]
South East Area Sile McNulty Goodwin [email protected]
South Central To be Confirmed
Regional Age Friendly Manager for Dublin City
Bruce McDevitt [email protected]
The Dublin City Guide to Age Friendly Communication provides very useful tips and steps to take when communicating with members of the public. Communication methods mentioned are applicable to all members of the public, not just to older people. Dublin City Age Friendly believes that when you design for an older person, you are encompassing a whole community.
This is a programme being rolled out nationally. Its goal is to help people to live in their own home with dignity and independence, for as long as possible. The majority of people want to remain in their own home as they age but there are often challenges which make this difficult.
With the right assessment and supports, a person’s home can be adapted to allow them to remain independent. Your local Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinator will visit you at home to carry out an assessment of what supports are needed to help you to continue living independently in your own home.
We can provide information on adapting your existing home and the relevant grants available to support you to make those changes.
We can also provide you with information about a range of housing, health and social care supports to help you decide on what you need to enable you to live to the best of your ability within your community.
Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinators
Name: Liz Kilduff (Northside) Naomi Dixon (Southside)
Regional Managers: Eimear McCormack (Northside) Ann Moran (Southside)
Contact Healthy Age Friendly Homes[EM1]
Email Referrals
Email Admin
Address
Meath County Council
Kells Civic Office
Headfort Place
Kells, Co. Meath
A82 W2R3
Phone 046-924 8899
The Age Friendly Technical Advisor acts as the key point within Dublin City Council for matters relating to age friendly housing and public realm technical queries specifically around design and delivery of infrastructure Ireland ageing population utilising universal design principles. They provide support to colleagues in housing, planning and transportation directives, private sector developers, Approved Housing Bodies and individuals on solutions regarding age friendly housing and public realm works. The work collaboratively with the local Age Friendly Programme Managers and the Age Friendly Ireland shared service team in relation to strategy development, planning, implementation and monitoring of objectives at local level. Adopting best practice and using national technical standards and guidance they provide technical assistance in relation to universal design principles and crime prevention through environmental design principles to all relevant stakeholders.
Jessica Lange Email: [email protected]