Age Awareness Week in Northern Ireland

It’s been Age Awareness Week in Northern Ireland and older people were trying to get a clear message across to society in general with the events held in the period.

Organised by the Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP), it was designed to celebrate the diversity of older people’s lives, and to highlight their contribution to society and increase awareness and understanding of issues associated with ageing.

Attitudes to older people and how they are portrayed in society were challenged in the programme of events across the province during the week. It has been estimated that 38 per cent of Northern Ireland’s population will be over 50 by 2029, so the organisers encouraged everyone to get involved.

Spokeswoman Anne O’Reilly said that we should be proud that people are living longer. However, that did not necessarily equate to better living.

“Older people continue to be under-represented in society,” she said. “According to our research 88% of people believe more should be done to ensure older people in Northern Ireland are represented.”

She hoped that the challenge to stereotypes faced by older people would continue beyond the organised week. An older persons’ commissioner is to be put in place after public consultation was launched by Stormont junior ministers Robin Newton and Gerry Kelly last Thursday.

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