Question 1:

The Role of the carer/organisation in promoting positive attitudes to ageing and retirement

Ageing is an inevitable, irreversible process but is not necessarily negative. Ageing does not start at 65 years, it is not a sudden event. It begins at birth and continues until death. Ageing and retirement in Ireland has gone through many changes in recent years with the increase in qualifying age for both retirement and pension entitlements. There has been a significant increase in our older population aged 65 and over. In 2006 this figure was 468,000, by 2041 this figure is set to increase substantially to 1.4 million. In March 2018 Ireland has 456 people aged 100 years and over. It is predicted that 50% of female children born today may live to be 100 years or older.  Over the past decade in Ireland, the life expectancy of people living here has increased by 2.5 years. Due to the increase in life expectancy in Ireland a focus has now come on health promotion and positive ageing for our older generation. As our ageing population grows so does the need for organisations and carers in promoting positive ageing in our society. It is now vital that our ideals of ageing healthy are been promoted and utilised by our ageing population to increase their quality of life through physical, social, intellectual and emotional opportunities. In 2008 Ireland developed The National Positive Ageing Strategy with the vision of making Ireland a good country in which to grow old in the years ahead.

Healthy and positive ageing means optimising opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life.

www.healthyageing.eu