Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay 

Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay

Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay 

The Role of the carer/organization 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. Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay Paper

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. Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay Paper

www.healthyageing.eu

The Role of the Organisations:

In Ireland today there are many organisations who are involved in promoting healthy ageing. In recent years there has been a major focus and strategies put in place by these organisations due to our ageing population. These organisations help to promote healthy ageing through a range of services. The main focus of the organisations is to promote healthy ageing through physical, intellectual, emotional and social services. Most of the organisations are voluntary groups.

A key purpose of organisations is to promote positive attitudes to ageing as the belief is this can increase quality of life.  Some organisations provide lifelong learning and education for older people such as training in new technology or computer training. This enables the older person to keep up to date with new advances and equipment and make them more self-reliant. This can also help to keep older people mentally stimulated and an active member of society. It also can help older people to stay connected to family or friends who maybe have moved away through using the new technology for skype or facetime. Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay Paper

One of the major issues affecting our ageing population is isolation and loneliness. Most of the organisations provide a range of services to help combat this issue. They provide transport for older people to access social groups and activities in their locality. Some provide home visitation, telephone befriending service, social clubs, day tours and weekends away. This is to ensure that they are still feeling connected and involved in their community. By facilitating these outings and activities older people are staying active and having a varied and enjoyable social life.  It can also be an outlet for older people to reminisce and share life experiences.

Other organisations are promoting positive ageing by campaigning and being a voice for the older people. They are campaigning against poor housing and poverty. By being an advocate on these issues they are raising awareness and hoping to find solutions to these issues. They are providing funding and assistance to older people with fuel costs, minor house repairs, damaged furniture and insulation. By doing this the older people feel safe and secure in their homes. It can help them preserve their independence and antonomy.

Organisations provide education and raise awareness on some common conditions and risks that may occur with ageing. This can allow older people to be more familiar with signs and symptoms that are associated with these illnesses or conditions. It is with the goal that this will lead to early diagnosis, and improved outcomes for recovery. Strategies for Positive Aging and Retirement Essay Paper

Overall organisations are trying to promote healthy and positive ageing through a holistic approach to ageing. There main objective is to achieve a more positive attitude to ageing through their services, with the hope of increasing quality of life and promoting more healthy lifestyle choices for older people.