Age-Friendly plan to be launched as older population predicted to rise to 25-31 per cent

Westmeath County Council is preparing to launch its latest Age-Friendly Strategy amid rising demand for services and supports for older people.

At the July meeting of Westmeath County Council, Annette Barr-Jordan, Westmeath’s Age-Friendly Programme manager, outlined the strategy and its importance for the county, noting that Ireland was the first country in the world to become officially age-friendly under the World Health Organization’s guidelines.

“We have 96,222 people actually living in Westmeath, and of that 14,369 are people that are 65 years and older,” she said. “That accounts for 15 percent of the population of Westmeath and that is climbing year on year and it’s projected to increase to between 25 to 32 percent of the population by 2057.”

That was why it was necessary, she said, to have a strategy in place that would help older people live healthier lives for longer.

The strategy, which is now in its final phase before launch, was shaped through extensive consultation with older people in Westmeath.

“We held AGMs, coordinated senior groups, conducted surveys online and on paper, and engaged with the Older Persons Council for submissions and formal support,” Ms Barr-Jordan said. “We’re now in the seventh step of an eight-step process. Once council adopts it, we hope to launch it in September.”

The strategy addresses a wide range of priorities identified by older people, including improved footpaths, public toilets, seating and transport – especially in rural areas; more suitable housing and housing supports; safer communities and personal security; combating loneliness and increasing access to social and cultural activities; the provision of accessible information in multiple formats – not just digital; greater involvement in local decision-making and better access to healthcare, mental health supports and home help.

“This is not just a council initiative – it’s a whole-county strategy,” Ms Barr-Jordan stressed. “Westmeath County Council is leading it, but it involves every sector that affects the lives of older people, from housing to libraries, health, transport and sport.”

The strategy is built on a countywide alliance of organisations, including Westmeath County Council, the Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (ETB), Local Link, the Citizens Information Centre, and others.

Together, they form an implementation structure that includes The Age-Friendly Alliance; The Westmeath Age-Friendly Council; a service providers forum; an interdepartmental team within the council and the Age-Friendly Office.

The strategy follows the WHO framework and is organised around eight key themes: outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; respect and social inclusion; social participation; communication and information; civic participation and employment; and community supports and health services. Each theme has between eight and 10 action points that will be pursued over the coming years.

Ms Barr-Jordan emphasised the wider benefits of age-friendly policies: “If you make a place easier to access for older people, it also helps parents with buggies, people with disabilities, and anyone with mobility challenges. It’s about universal access – and ultimately, all of us benefit.”

The Age-Friendly team in Westmeath includes Ms Barr-Jordan as programme manager, Sam Hogan as healthy age-friendly homes coordinator, and Noeleen Quigley as technical advisor.

“We’re ready to drive the implementation forward,” she said.