AGE Irish member Active Retirement Ireland recently launched an audio series ‘The Old Country’, which explores healthy ageing in Ireland. Marking the United Nations’ Decade of Healthy Ageing, the podcasts find out about growing older in Ireland, and how we can build a better Ireland for all ages, getting the most of our ‘golden years’.
Across the 12 podcast episodes, the guest speakers – from older people to experts in fields of gerontology, human rights and inclusion – address a range of topics that includes:
- how to make the most out of retirement;
- drawing COVID-19 policy lessons;
- the challenge of loneliness;
- equality and ageing;
- the issue of data and managing our own health;
- older people in marginalised communities;
- digital inclusion;
- cultural and artistic contributions of older people;
- why we need a UN Decade of Healthy Ageing;
- age-friendly planning and the role of local authorities;
- hopes for the future…
“The podcast was recorded during the pandemic and during a time when we saw older people lose their agency and their voice and really struggle to get it back. While we can reflect on this and the impact that Covid-19 had on older people’s lives, we also need to take this opportunity to learn from it, to move forward and recreate an Ireland where everyone is valued and respected. This message is not just for older people. Ireland’s population is getting older, it is in everybody’s interest for our country to be a better place to be an older person.”, stated Maureen Kavanagh, CEO of Active Retirement Ireland, in a press release.