The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs, of which Active Retirement Ireland is a member, is urging immediate action to improve the experiences of older people at end of life and renewing their call for the government to establish an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People.
The Alliance, comprising Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, ALONE, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Irish Hospice Foundation, The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Third Age and Cope Galway, met today with politicians in Leinster House to outline recommendations from research and direct experience of the challenges facing older people in Ireland.
The meetings come on foot of the release this week of the third in a series of publications by The Alliance, entitled ‘Telling It Like It Is’. The latest edition – Experiences of Older People at End of Life – is based on the findings of the National End of Life Survey, which was Ireland’s first nationwide survey that asked bereaved relatives and friends about the care their loved ones and friends received at the end of life.
Around 35,000 people die in Ireland each year, and demographic research shows that older people are the fastest growing population. Alliance members agree that measures are required to ensure older people are included in the conversations relating to their end-of-life care as well as recognising the urgent need for health and social services to be responsive to people as they age in their community.
Recommendations from the report include:
- training for all those interacting with older people to support and enable them to navigate the important conversations as they approach end of life
- accessibility of key services and supports for older people, regardless of a person’s location or care setting
- end-of-life care must also consider and include the impact on those who are left to grieve
- continued research on trends in the experience of end of life in Ireland and a repeat of the National End of Life Survey.
The Alliance says that these measures will ensure that older people are treated as equal partners in their own care and will help to progress securing the delivery and resourcing of age-appropriate services and initiatives.
The Alliance has previously noted the lack of Government progress on policy pledges and undertakings for older people. The Alliance asserts that successful implementation of measures in this space will have a significant bearing on the future success of Ireland as a nation.
Read a summary of the report: Telling It Like It Is: Experiences of Older People at End of Life
Read the full report: Telling It Like It Is: Experiences of Older People at End of Life