New Offaly Age Friendly Strategy is launched

The new Offaly Age Friendly Strategy has been launched by Offaly County Council.

Chief Executive of Offaly Count Council and Chair of Offaly Age Friendly Alliance Anna Marie Delaney launched the strategy at a meeting of the alliance on Friday.

This is the second Offaly Age Friendly Strategy, which was produced under the guidance of the members of the Age Friendly Alliance (AFA), whose members include key community/voluntary, public and private sector service providers in the county.

Ms Delaney pointed out that Offaly now has a significant Age Friendly Programme team in place which is a solid foundation on which to build for the future. The team includes a dedicated Age Friendly Programme Manager; a Regional AF Programme Manager; an Age Friendly Housing Specialist; and a Healthy Age Friendly Homes County Coordinator and Regional Manager.

Ms Delaney added: “At the core of the Age Friendly Programme is an overarching goal that our county should be a good place in which to grow old. Arising from that is a requirement that the supports and services are properly co-ordinated and that the needs and requirements of our older people are met. The new Strategy aims to achieve this goal.”

Life expectancy has increased significantly in Offaly, “… so there is a responsibility on society to adapt in a manner that provides older people with the physical, social, economic and cultural opportunities to ensure they enjoy the best quality of life. The 2022 Census results show that over 21% of the population of Offaly is now over the age of 60, which is a significant and increasing change in our demographic make-up. We must respond to this change. The fact that our population is living longer and healthier lives is wonderful, but it also brings itws challenges. The key actions included in this Strategy are designed to meet these challenges” concluded Ms Delaney.

Welcoming the launch of the Strategy, Chair of the Offaly Older Persons Council, Ms Molly Buckley, said that “it is important that this strategy is seen as a living document and I have no doubt that the various stakeholders, through the Older Persons Council, the Age Friendly Alliance, the Interdepartmental Team in Offaly County Council and the various service providers will work efficiently and constructively towards reaching our shared goals”.

Ms Delaney expressed her thanks “to all the partners involved in producing this strategy for their invaluable contribution” and looks forward to the significant enhancement of supports for older persons in Offaly which the Strategy now promises to deliver.

The strategy is available to download from the www.offaly.ie website and can be viewed in Offaly’s branch libraries.