Any cuts to welfare and social supports would have a devastating impact on older people. Currently the weekly rate for contributory pension is €230.30 and the weekly rate for non contributory is €219 and €229 for those aged over 80. These are by no means princely sums. When you consider that the “at risk of poverty rate” for older people is 16.6%, certain vulnerable groups of older people simply cannot afford to give more.
SILC findings show that...
Participants at Older...
Madam, – I write as one of many State pensioners, with a great deal of anxiety due to a proposed reduction in my pension in the next Budget. I, and most of my fellow- pensioners, contributed over our working lives for this modest pension, unlike politicians who receive exorbitant ones.
Contrary to Government propaganda, the cost of living has not reduced and will increase again with increases in fuel taxes in the next budget.
We also have been told that our pensions are higher than those in the UK but, of course, no mention of the lower cost of living in the UK (as shown by the...
Older & Bolder has a full page article in the Irish Times in today’s Irish Times, 19th November. Download the article here (PDF 3MB)
Share your thoughts on these issues using our comments box below.
It grieved me when the Christmas bonus was removed. My pension is my sole source of income, by the time all of the bills have been paid and that includes car tax fuel & maintenance there is very little left; I know that it will be...
Thanks to the many thousands of people who signed Older & Bolder’s petition asking the Government not to cut State Pensions in the Budget on Wednesday 9th. We received a tremendous response to the campaign and the support from around the country has been heartening. With the assistance of some hardy bikers the petitions were presented at Dáil Eireann on Friday December 4th and received by Minister Mary Hanafin’s private secretary. The Minister herself was not available.
There have been media reports over the weekend that State Pensions are safe and will be excluded from cuts in...
Older people reliant on State Pensions and other supports have escaped from Budget 2010 unscathed. They stood in front of the firing squad with other Social Welfare recipients and they were not hit by any flying bullets. We are relieved because we know how reliant a majority of older people are on social transfers to protect them against the risk of poverty. Older & Bolder welcomes the maintenance of State Pensions at current levels, the protection of the Household Benefits Package, Travel Pass, Living Alone Allowance, Over 80 Age Allowance and Fuel Allowance.
Older...
Welcome to the second video in the series. Last summer participants at Older & Bolder consultation meetings were asked a range of questions about ageing in Ireland. This video explores the question “What do you think is needed to enable positive ageing for people in Irish Society?”
Watch the video and use the comments box below to share your views
The Minister for Older People and Health Promotion, Áine Brady TD, announced on 12th February that she is to begin a series of eight consultation meetings around the country beginning in Cork on 4 March and Sligo on 11 March. These meetings will help the Minister develop the National Positive Ageing Strategy which is a long-term plan for making Ireland a better place in which to grow older.
Older & Bolder is not involved in planning these consultation meetings; the development of the National Positive Ageing Strategy is a Government process, led by the Office for Older People....
Responding to the launch of the National Pensions Framework today, March 3rd 2010, the Older & Bolder alliance says that it recognises the need for pension reform but has some concerns regarding components of the announced proposals.
In reference to the announced changes to the pension qualifying age, Older & Bolder favours flexible and individual choice for older people in relation to work and retirement age. The National Pensions Framework does not safeguard this for older people.
Older & Bolder’s Project Director, Patricia Conboy said, “The Government’s...
Older & Bolder warmly welcomes the Older Women’s Network as a new member of our alliance. We look forward to working with Louise Richardson, CEO of the Older Women’s Network, who will sit on our board.
Older Women's Network Ireland is a national network linking individuals and groups of women aged 55+. It provides a forum for older women to meet together to share their experiences and discuss issues of concern. Through newsletters and informal workshops it provides information about these issues to help give older women a voice. OWN works to bring about positive change and the...
Introduction – All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and human rights. During our lifecycle, these fundamental rights are challenged on a daily basis. To mark European Day of Intergenerational Solidarity, Older & Bolder and the Children’s Rights Alliance want to stand together in defence of the rights of older people and children. We do not see older people and children as interest groups with competing interests. Instead, we share a belief that an age friendly Ireland will be good for people of all ages. The Children’s...
Professor Des O'Neill presents his report entitled, 'Ageing, the Demographic Dividend and Work', commissioned by Older & Bolder
Watch the video and use the comments box below to share your views
For the last two months Older & Bolder has been enjoying an interesting conversation, one that has taken us all the way from Letterkenny to Waterford …
We have been revisiting old friends and travelling to new towns and cities, meeting with older people around the country to discuss the policies which will affect the daily lives of older people and shape the kind of society we live in. 2010 is a year of important decisions!
We have been discussing the National Positive Ageing Strategy, now at a crucial stage with official consultations taking place in a number of...
The recent debate around the Contributory State Pension has highlighted once again the need for a clear long term commitment to a fair and secure State Pension System for all.
Last December, concerned citizens from across Ireland joined with Older & Bolder to successfully campaign against cuts to the pension. Less than six months later it seemed that the Government might have forgotten that message when the Minister for Social Protection stated in a radio interview that he could ‘not rule out’ a cut to the State Pension in the next budget. In the days that followed,...
Older & Bolder alliance has today (Thursday 1st July) stated that the Government must place security and fairness at the heart of any reform of the pension system. The alliance made this call at the launch of its an important new report “A Secure Pension System for All?”(click here for copy), a collective response from...
To celebrate United Nations Day of Older People, 1st October 2010, we have launched our online petition defend the State Pension.
Last year, thousands of older people campaigned successfully against cuts to the State Pension. But now, the State Pension and associated supports are again under threat in December’s Budget.
We do not want to find ourselves fighting this battle again and again. That is why we’re campaigning again to send a clear and strong message to our policy-makers: the State Pension must not suffer any cuts, direct or indirect, in the next Budget.
Take...
On the 1st October, United Nations Day of Older People, we launched the online version of our petition to the Taoiseach calling for the State Pension and associated supports to be protected.
Three days later and the response has been immediate and vocal. Amongst the hundreds of signatures many left comments underlining the importance of safeguarding the State Pension. Here we share just a few of those comments. These represent the strongly held views of...
Older & Bolder says major policy decisions could be made on the future of the State Pension and income supports based on questionable information.
A research paper, Measured or Missed? Poverty and Deprivation among Older People in a Changing Ireland, presented today raises questions about how poverty and deprivation are being measured among older people in Ireland. The research was prepared for Older & Bolder by Professor Mary Daly of Queen’s University, Belfast and was presented today at a meeting in Dublin.
Patricia Conboy, Older & Bolder’s Project...
Check out our half page advertisement in todays Irish Times (page 11) outlining our reasons to defend the State Pension and actions you can take. If you didn't manage to pick up a copy you can see the full advertisement below. While we have a great support base we're hoping that this advertisement will bring our message to a wider audience. We're always looking for feedback on our campaign materials so let us know what you think.
Link to image of advert on Flickr
[img_assist|nid=116|title=Irish Times advertisement 121010|desc...
The Sunday Business Post (24 October) review our film directed by Ken Wardrop. Read it here.
There was a great discussion on Ireland AM about our Campaign on Friday morning 22 October. They showed a good snippit of our film and interviewed one of our stars Marie and the director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboy. You can view this here
The...
While the recent political response to our campaign to Defend the State Pension is very encouraging we are not taking anything for granted. It is clear from the statements of a number of Ministers that no decisions have been taken to protect the State Pension and it is still a distinct possibility that the Pension and the other income supports for older people may yet be cut. We’re determined to redouble our efforts; it will be important to keep lobbying your local TDs in the coming weeks.
This morning (Tuesday 9th November) Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, said "The decision to...
While our supporters around the country have been busy collecting signatures, setting up petition stands and lobbying their local TDs we are also raising the importance of defending the State Pension on national Television and Radio. 
Listen to us 'as gaeilge' on Nuacht an Lae on Radio na Gaeltachta broadcast on Wednesday 10th...
Older & Bolder says that there is no justification for further cutting State Pension and income supports in December’s Budget. Recent research shows that any change to State Pension or other supports will have significant impact on older people’s lives.
We are concerned that the rising costs revealed in recent inflation figures are making life difficult for older people most of whom are relying on fixed incomes. In this context there is no justification for further cuts to the State Pension in December’s Budget.
The figures released by the...
You can’t pass through Anne’s Street in Wexford town without being aware of our campaign to Defend the State Pension.
Street stands have been set up near the post office and outside the credit union encouraging shoppers to sign our petition to An Taoiseach not to cut the State Pension and related supports in the coming budget.
...
Our campaign to defend the State Pension has gathered great momentum and support around the country. At our most recent count we have received over 40,000 individual petition signatures. We also know that supporters have left TDs in no doubt about the importance of safeguarding the State Pension and related supports in December’s Budget.
We will be delivering a powerful message along with the tens of thousands of petitions to Leinster House on 30th November.
Three days beforehand the Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament, a member of our alliance,...
Older & Bolder welcomed the indication in the Four-Year Plan published by the Government today that the State Pension will escape a direct cut in the forthcoming Budget. This is, Older & Bolder said, a tribute to the 40,000 people who have signed Older & Bolder’s petition to defend the State Pension over the course of a two month campaign by the alliance.
However, Older & Bolder is concerned about the impact of the many of the other measures proposed in the Government’s Plan on citizens on lower and fixed incomes, including older people. Director Patricia...
Older & Bolder welcomed the fact that the State Pension and associated supports (household benefits package and free travel) have escaped a cut in the Budget.
However, Older & Bolder expressed concern about cuts to other vulnerable groups in this Budget. Older & Bolder has long advocated the protection of all vulnerable groups and the shaping of a more equal society where there’s trust, solidarity and where we shape systems of care and support that pool costs and risks across the generations. Older people will be...
Older & Bolder highlight 5 election priorities for older people and for Ireland.
The Older & Bolder alliance today (Wednesday, 9 February) set out five priorities which parties and candidates must address if they are to win older people’s votes.
The ‘High Five’ priorities include Fairer Health Care, Secure Pensions, Improved Local Transport, Greater Involvement for older citizens and the long-overdue delivery of Ireland’s National Positive Ageing Strategy. They represent the shared views and concerns of the eight organisations within the Older & Bolder...
The Older & Bolder alliance has today (Tuesday 22nd February) launched their baseline statement on Health and Social Care “One for All, Age Friendly Health & Social Care: Principles and Experience” which identifies inequalities in the current system and outlines some of the changes required to meet older people’s specific health and social care needs.
Ms Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said that the reality is that the ability to...
Older & Bolder highlighted five key issues, our HIGH FIVE, for older people in General Election 2011. Our summary of the political parties’ proposals in relation to those key issues is set out below. In terms of the implementation of any proposals by a new Government, the devil will be in the detail. Older & Bolder has identified some of the details that will, we believe, need to be tracked during and after the formation of the next Government.
The first issue is Fairer Care. Older & Bolder favours a universal, single tier system of...
The Older & Bolder alliance has expressed deep concern this evening at the fact that no full Minister or Minister for State has been explicitly assigned responsibility for older people.
Older & Bolder’s Director, Patricia Conboy, said that a Minister is needed to drive forward the strong agenda for older people contained in the Programme for Government.
“Older & Bolder welcomes the fact that the Programme for Government sets out a number of important commitments to older people, including a review of the Fair Deal scheme, the reform of long-term care and the...
The Older & Bolder alliance has welcomed this afternoon’s announcement that Kathleen Lynch TD has been appointed at the Minister for Older People.
Older & Bolder is an alliance of eight non-governmental organisations in the ageing sector: Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior...
The Bealtaine Festival is a unique and groundbreaking Irish festival celebrating creativity in older age. Thousands of older people now take part in the Bealtaine festival, with 2011 being its 16th year. From dance to cinema, painting to theatre, Bealtaine showcases the...
Older & Bolder shares older people’s deep concern that the 2011 funding for the Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme has run out in the first half of the year. The direct effects of this shortfall will be felt by highly vulnerable older people now at the point of transition from home or acute hospital to nursing home care.
Older & Bolder are taking action to ensure decision makers understand that immediate steps are required to address the crisis that has now emerged regarding the Fair Deal Scheme. Read our letter to the editor in the Irish Examiner ...
Older & Bolder has today welcomed the assurance the Minister has given to the 2,200 older people who are awaiting transfer to nursing homes under the Fair Deal Nursing Home Support Scheme that they will be accommodated but questions the delay of the promised 'root and branch' review.
The Minister indicated that of those awaiting transfer to nursing homes, 500 people who are...
The Older & Bolder alliance today expressed its surprise and concern that the Government has announced cuts to fuel, electricity and phone allowances in the absence of the appropriate and promised planning framework, the Fuel Poverty Strategy.
Older & Bolder’s Director, Patricia Conboy, said “These cuts will affect vulnerable older people, carers and people with disabilities, all of whom are groups supported by the eight members of our alliance. Older & Bolder would be very concerned if the lack of engagement with older people’s organisations prior to...
We have submitted our pre-Budget submission to Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton. In it we debunk the myth that older people have escaped unscathed from recent cuts and charges, we emphasise the importance of a meaningful positive ageing strategy and we highlight the supports which must be retained that assist older people to maintain independence and dignity, manage...
The Older & Bolder alliance has called for the Irish Presidential Election campaign to be free of ageism: that is discrimination against people on the basis of their age.
The alliance has said that the key factors to be considered in assessing candidates’ suitability for the Presidency should be their character, track record, judgement and vision for the role of President.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said that, “The date on a birth certificate is a factor outside the control of any candidate. Factors such as character, track...
Older & Bolder, with a delegation of older people, will be attending the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ireland’s Human Rights record in Geneva on the 6th of October.
This is the first time...
Older & Bolder welcomes the Government’s commitment to ensure economic protection for older peopleThe Older & Bolder alliance has today (Monday, 10 October) welcomed the Government’s response to the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ireland’s Human Rights Record. Following on a recommendation from the Netherlands, the Irish Government agreed to ensure that future...
Some pertinent facts from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a large-scale, nationally representative study of people aged 50 and over in Ireland. More than 8,000 people participated in the first wave of TILDA interviews and first results were published in 2010.
During the first six months of 2011, Older & Bolder met hundreds of older people at our Forums on Health and Social care. The clear message from those discussions was that health is about more than medicine alone. Older people place a high value on access to GP, primary care and hospital services. But older people also shared with us their broad understanding about what is needed to age well at home: accessible local transport, a secure income, involvement in vibrant community and voluntary groups, and clarity about the right – when illness occurs – to supports in the...
Mrs Justice McGuinness along with four Older & Bolder advocates helped to introduce our MAKE HOME WORK campaign on Wednesday November 23rd.
At the event Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder called for a change in how we think, how we talk and how we act in relation to ageing and older...
Days before the 2012 Budget, Older & Bolder Director Patricia Conboy said, “It is crucial that we protect what we already have in place. This is the clear thrust of the messages Older & Bolder have been receiving as part of the campaign, Make Home Work – The Right to Age Well at Home.”
Messages addressed to the Taoiseach said: ‘Dear Taoiseach, I am writing to ask you to MAKE HOME WORK for older people by protecting vital supports from cuts, direct or indirect in the forthcoming budget. I value the following supports because they help me to live...
Older people are contributors, not just recipients of health care
Older & Bolder welcomes Minister Howlin’s commitment today to maintain ‘social solidarity in the face of difficult times,’ which the Minister has demonstrated with the continued support for the Medical Card and long-term care. Older & Bolder Director Patricia Conboy said, “I am disappointed that the Minister has singled out older people as ‘placing demands on essential health and personal social services…’
Ms Conboy...
Deep concern for the welfare of older people – Older & Bolder respond to Minister Reilly
Responding to Minister of Health James Reilly's comments earlier today, Patricia Conboy Director of Older & Bolder said, “I am deeply concerned for the well-being of older people living in care homes. They hear Minister O’Reilly saying that public nursing homes are going to close but they don’t know where the axe is going to fall. What is the plan? It isn’t good enough to say that we need to save money and that some homes don’t meet...
Older & Bolder Director Patricia Conboy today said, “While I welcome the adjustment to the Universal Social Charge which will benefit people on lower income I am concerned about the effects of indirect taxes on less well off older people, charges like the increase in VAT, the introduction in the household charge, the increase in motor tax, the increase in petrol and diesel and the carbon tax hit those on limited fixed income hardest. Coupled with the measures announced in yesterday’s Budget, this places a heavy burden on a vulnerable group.”
...
Older & Bolder is alarmed at proposed cuts to community nursing homes and the threat to community care services
“What will happen now to older people? Where are older people to live as they age?
At a Press Conference today held in Dublin, days after the 2012 Budget, Older & Bolder Director Patricia Conboy said, “It is crucial that we protect what we already have in place. Older & Bolder are alarmed at the proposed cuts to community care homes and the danger posed to community care services by cuts in the Health Budget. I...
Presentation By Patricia Conboy, Director, Older & Bolder Friday, December 16, 2011 Buswells Hotel, Dublin
Welcome. Thank you for coming. My name is Patricia Conboy. I am the director of Older & Bolder, an alliance of 8 organisations in the age sector. I am joined on the platform today by representatives of three of our member...
Older & Bolder today welcomed in principle the proposal by the Minister for Health James Reilly to establish a special fund to pay for services and facilities that would allow more older people to remain in their own homes rather than being moved to long-term residential care. The Older & Bolder campaign ‘Make Home Work – The Right to Age Well at Home’ highlights the importance of developing community based supports as part of an...
You can use the link below to listen back to Older & Bolder’s response on RTE's Drivetime (Friday 6th January) to the Revenue Commissioners announcement that 115,000 pensioners will have to pay extra taxes due to an under-calculation of their liabilities. Skip forward to 44 minutes 44 seconds where coverage of this story starts, Older & Bolder’s response begins at 49 minutes and 45 seconds
http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradiowebpage.html#!rii=9%3A3160342%3A83%...
There is no doubt this country is experiencing historically difficult financial times but Older & Bolder stress that the response to this crisis must never be one of expediency and those who are most vulnerable must not be made to pay for the country’s debts.
Patricia Conboy Director of Older & Bolder said today, ‘As we await the publication of the HSE Health Service Plan I am deeply disturbed at recent statements by Minister of Health James Reilly’s warning of cuts. What does the Minister mean when he speaks about producing a “politically acceptable” form of the HSE Service...
Older & Bolder welcomes the imminent publication of the HSE Service Plan as the delay has led to anxiety amongst those who may bear the brunt of proposed cuts. While welcoming the reported ‘ring fenced’ funding of primary and community care services, serious questions need to be answered about the reported closure of up to 600 public beds.
Patricia Conboy Director of Older & Bolder, said today, ‘I welcome the reported “ring-fencing” of Minister Shortall’s areas of responsibility and congratulate her on achieving the important protection of vital services in the areas of...
Home Help services will be on life support
Older & Bolder is deeply worried about health cuts and the damaging effects these will have on older people’s health and safety.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder, ‘I am deeply concerned about the recent cuts announced by the Minister and I believe that these cuts are unfair to older people; serious questions remain to be answered: Is the health and well being of older people to be compromised by these cuts? The Minister says that people are going into long term care too quickly why then reduce...
Older & Bolder today calls for the implementation of the Law Reform Commission recommendations on professional home care and for a wider public debate on long-term care.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said,
“We welcome the Law Reform Commission report which takes a holistic and person-centred view of the care of older people.
“As the report states, the HSE is not legally required to provide home care services and this, in Older and Bolder’s view has led to a “poor cousin” treatment of home-care in Ireland. ...
An Older & Bolder report on older people’s battle with bureaucracy
The Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly today launched ‘Caught in the Web’ - an Older & Bolder report which shines a spotlight on the difficulties older people have in accessing vital information about access to public services.
“Isolation, sensory problems, lack of access to the internet, the failure of some service providers to offer adequate...
The President Michael D Higgins is today attending a seminar hosted by Older & Bolder to celebrate the links between young and old. In an inter-generational show of solidarity young students meet with Older & Bolder activists to discuss how strong connections between the generations can create a stronger society.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older and Bolder said people of all ages now need to make their voices heard about the sort of society we want to create.
“There is a lot of debate about the economy right now and that is right and necessary...
Older & Bolder today called on Kathleen Lynch TD, the Minister with responsibility for older people to reassure people following suggestions from the IMF that vital supports for pensioners should be cut.
“Older people are now living under the threat of cuts to vital benefits like free travel, medical cards and the State Pension after the International Monetary Fund identified such measures,” Patricia Conboy, director of Older & Bolder said today.
“But the human cost of a short-term cost-cutting exercise of this kind would be enormous for older people and...
Older & Bolder today welcomes calls from the Seanad to bolster the rights of older people.
The Report on the Rights of Older People published today by the Seanad Public Consultation committee calls for wide-ranging legal amendments and makes recommendations that could really make a difference to the quality of older people’s lives.
Director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboy said, “We are particularly pleased that this report calls on the HSE to carry out an audit of all community care services...
Older & Bolder today (18th April) called on Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton to launch a public awareness campaign to highlight radical changes to the Contributory State pension linked to the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill commencing in the Dáil this week.
While the changes to qualifying contributions will affect some people from as early as this year, so far the complicated changes have not been clearly highlighted to citizens.
“There has been some publicity about the increase in the age at...
Patricia Conboy, a director of the Older & Bolder alliance, which campaigns for the rights of the elderly, responds to an article by Evening Echo columnist John Dolan. Mr Dolan argued that families are taking most of the pain in this recession while pensioners are not asked to contribute to the economic rebuilding job. .
‘The headline ‘Pensioner Power is running the country while families suffer’ over a column written by John Dolan (March 3rd) certainly got my attention. Older people may have been a handy scapegoat for John on that day, but of...
This year's Say No To Ageism Week takes place from June 4th to 8th. It is a good time to consider the affects of ageism in our society. The week provides an opportunity to remind us of the consequences of ageism in service provision. It is a time to renew our commitment to combating ageism in society. Older people's identities are often replaced by a negative stereotype that denies them access to full participation in society. The theme this year is a positive affirmation: "I Say No to Ageism". So much can be achieved when a negative attitude is changed to a positive. Combating...
The Irish Hospice Foundation, a member of the Older & Bolder alliance, is holding a public meeting on Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) Orders next Wednesday (6th June) at 6pm in the Alexander Hotel in Dublin. All are welcome to this free lecture.
Confirmed speakers are:
• Dr Deirdre Madden, Senior lecturer in law at University College Cork (UCC) and Chair of the National Consent Advisory Group;
• Dr. Siobhan O' Sullivan, the Chief Bioethics Officer at the Department of Health and Chair of the DNAR sub-group of the...
If case you missed our opinion piece in the Irish Times (13th June) here it is again.
In Older and Bolder, we meet older people all over the country who share a common message with us: “I want to grow old at home.” We hear from people who are afraid of losing limited but highly valued homecare supports.
As one individual told us recently, “My home help comes every day for one hour. I am 96 years old. If I was to lose this service, I would not be able to live alone.” The fact is that we have yet to meet a politician, a civil servant or a public servant who argues against...
Minister Kathleen Lynch TD finally went on the record today with a commitment in the Seanad to publish the National Positive Ageing Strategy during 2012, the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder welcomed the commitment saying “The Minister has responded to older people and their advocates who have campaigned for six long years for the publication of a National Positive Ageing Strategy. This campaign has been sustained through two Programmes for Government and over the tenure of three Ministers for...
90 year old Mabel Gargan, with the help of 39 year old street artist, Fink, graffiti sprayed the message that she wants to continue to grow old at home in a super-sized display of solidarity between the generations.
The arresting image of Mabel spray painting “I want to grow old...
Read our letter in Thursday's Irish times (21st June) where we call for the Minister to take a more proactive approach to informing citizens about implications of changes to State pension system ...
Sir, – Sheila Gorman (June 20th) highlighted the fact that she will not have a State pension on retirement from her job at the age of 65 due to an increase in qualifying age for the State pension to 66, effective from 2014. The loss of anticipated income is not the only difficulty she and others in her circumstances will face.
From 2014, individuals will also lose the...
Figures from the latest CSO research reflect the importance of Older & Bolder’s MAKE HOME WORK calls for better home and community care and also confirm the State Pension as a vital resource which most older people rely on.
In 2010 the proportion of older people with a chronic illness rose to 55.7%. This increase underlines the importance of Older & Bolder’s call for better home and community care to allow older people to manage chronic conditions locally. The MAKE HOME WORK campaign calls for diagnosis and management of conditions such as dementia, stroke falls,...
The cuts to Home Care services announced by the HSE today are truly shocking and tantamount to turning off the life support machine on services which were already thinly spread.
Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said “We are already failing people who need home and community care services. 18 % of these additional cuts are targeted at home care services and represent a direct attack on old, young and disabled people in their own homes. The cuts fly in the face of long-standing policy and clear commitments in the Programme for Government to develop...
The proposed HSE cuts to home care services do not make human or economic sense. Older & Bolder is sending a strong message on air and in print that these cuts must be reversed. Scroll down to see coverage of our response - the most recent items appear first.
We’re hoping you too will play your part by contacting your local TD and telling them these savage cuts must be reversed and encouraging your friends and family to join our Make Home Work campaign.
...
Older & Bolder is calling on Minister James Reilly TD to reverse the cuts to Home Care Services announced yesterday by the HSE.
Ms. Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said: “We want to remind Minister Reilly of his own words in opposition in 2010 when he highlighted what was wrong with the HSE approach to cost-cutting. It was, he said, ‘the lazy, easy way out to hit frontline services and hurt patients rather than find the necessary savings within waste and inefficiencies at the HSE’.
She continued “This is precisely...
Older & Bolder has requested as a matter of urgency a meeting with the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.
Older & Bolder welcomes the Tánaiste's public naming of the HSE cuts as ‘regrettable’ and we urge him to translate his misgivings into action. Older and Bolder is calling for the immediate reversal of the cuts and is looking to have an urgent meeting with the Tánaiste to this effect.
Ms. Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said, “We are urging the Tánaiste to translate his recent public statements about the HSE cuts into action. The Tánaiste has...
The Government’s decision today to reverse cuts to Personal Assistant hours for people with a disability is only a partial response to the distress inflicted on vulnerable people by promised cuts to Home Care services. Older & Bolder repeats our call tonight for a reversal of the decision to cut Home Help services and Home Care Packages which benefit older people, children with life limiting illnesses and people with disabilities who need home care services.
Director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboy said, ‘I am deeply disappointed that the Government did...
Uncertainty and lack of clarity continue to be the order of the day for recipients of HSE Home Care services. Following a statement issued today on behalf of Minister for Health, James Reilly TD, there is more confusion about the status of Home Help services and Home Care packages.
Director of Older & Bolder, Ms. Patricia Conboy today asked “What is going on? Is the HSE cutting Home Care services as announced a week ago or is it not? What is the status of Home Help services and Home Care packages now that we are being told, on behalf of Minister Reilly, that ‘...
The myth that older people have been immune from cuts and have escaped the burden of rising costs during the economic crisis must be nailed for once and for all.
Director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboy said, “It is simply not true to suggest that older people have been untouched by cuts since the economic crisis began. Minister Brian Hayes is reported as saying that the Irish political system will never countenance cutbacks on older people. These remarks are made in the aftermath of a decision to apply a cut of €12.5 million to Home Care services targeted at the...
Our letter to the Irish Times on Saturday 15th September on illogical cuts to home care services
Dear Sir,
When is a cut not a cut?
Dr. Muiris Houston has described the recent cut of €12.5 million to home care services as illogical and indicative that the Minister for Health and his officials do not understand the basic mechanics of our health service (Irish Times, September 11 2012). Why otherwise would they proceed with a cut to home care packages which will have the effect of clogging up the hospital system within weeks? This cut has not been reversed.
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The HSE cuts to home help hours are illogical and untenable. If these cuts go through, and when added to the cuts implemented in January, it will result in just under 1 million hours of home help support being withdrawn in this year alone. This will devastate the prospect of safe ageing at home.
Not only are the cuts themselves a backwards step in terms of safe and healthy ageing, they also make no sense from an administrative or care management perspective.
Director of Older & Bolder, Ms. Patricia Conboy today said, “The HSE...
Older & Bolder has received thousands of personal postal messages from older people around the country who rely on home care services to stay living in their own homes. Most of these people are not on social media sites.
Please Use the Facebook and Twitter icons at the bottom of this page to share these messages with your friends and to encourage them to...
Older & Bolder will, next Thursday October 18th, at the gates of Dáil Éireann, present signatures to a petition calling for the immediate reversal of cuts to Home Help and Home Care Packages.
Director of Older & Bolder ...
Older & Bolder are today, Thursday October 18th, at the gates of Dáil Éireann, presenting signatures to a petition to Government calling for the immediate reversal of cuts to Home Help and Home Care Packages.
Director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboy, said, “Those in receipt of home help services are small in number but their response to the cutting of vital supports is loud and clear. In the words of one Dublin woman, “I could not survive at home without home help because I have severe and very disabling arthritis. Any cuts to this...
Older & Bolder’s campaign for the reversal of cuts to Home Care services is being stepped up today with the launch of an online tool directly linking TDs and their constituents. Recently, Government TDs voted down a motion to reverse cuts to Home Help and Home Care Packages. Visitors to the campaign website will be able find out how the TDs that represent them and their constituency have actually voted on this vital issue.
Ms. Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said: “We have consistently...
Older & Bolder, which champions the rights of all older people, is today standing in solidarity with the Children's Rights Alliance in calling for a strong YES vote in the Children’s Referendum on Saturday 10 November. Both organisations seek to highlight the challenges facing children and older people in living their lives with the dignity and rights that they deserve. Niamh Walker, a grandmother and advocate for Older & Bolder, and Megan Smith a young person from Foróige, speak personally about why they are advocating for a YES vote. This is a timely...
Older & Bolder is alarmed at the changes in medical card eligibility criteria announced as part of Budget 2013.
Older & Bolder Director, Patricia Conboy said, “These changes will not yield savings from the wealthiest in our society, rather it is middle Ireland, older people on incomes just above the new threshold, particularly those living alone, that will be hit hardest by the loss of the medical card. Unlike the medical card, the GP cards does not offer the same access to a range vital supports including public health nursing, social work services, community...
HOME-HELP HOURS TO BE RESTORED TO 2012 LEVELS
Responding to Minister Reilly’s announcement yesterday, Director of Older & Bolder, Patricia Conboy said, “Due to consistent democratic action by older people €3 million rather than the planned €8 million was cut from the home-help budget for 2012. While this will provide little comfort to those who, due to the €3 million cuts implemented, have lost vital home help hours we know that without concerted campaigning a further €5 million, equivalent to 300,000 hours, would have been cut.”
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Members of the Older & Bolder alliance are calling for the fair implementation of the property tax. The legislation before the Oireachtas today should take account of an individual’s ability to pay. This is a principle that applies to all age groups but we in Older & Bolder are particularly concerned about older people who own their own homes, who are now on low, fixed incomes and who are confronted with a new tax that takes no account of their circumstances.
Older & Bolder Director, Patricia Conboy said, “We are worried...
Budget 2013 will have a big impact on our shared MAKE HOME WORK goal of ageing well in our own homes.
Your action as part of our campaign to RESCUE HOME CARE has prevented further €5 million cuts to Home Care in 2012 and has ensured that funding for home-help for 2013 will be restored to levels at the beginning of 2012. There was also huge relief in Budget 2013 that...
There is a disturbing lack of detail in the HSE Service Plan 2013 published today. Ms. Patricia Conboy, Director of Older & Bolder said: “There are more questions than answers for older people arising from this new Plan. It announces a cut of 2.6% to the budget for older people, the biggest reduction in funding for any single care group in 2013. Worryingly, the plan provides no detail about how this cut is going to be implemented.” She continued: “The Budget for older people in 2013 will be €392 million, down from €403 million in 2012 and €407...
Older and younger activists exchanged experiences, reviewed strategies and shared campaign stories at a joint workshop hosted by Older & Bolder and The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) on the 24th in the Ashling Hotel in Dublin. Both organisations had been very active throughout 2012, with Older & Bolder leading a national campaign to reverse the cuts to home help services and the USI campaigning against rising college fees and cuts to the maintenance grant.
Activists from across the age spectrum shared a...
We are usually communicating about an item of campaign news but this message is about Older & Bolder itself. The grant funding we have been fortunate to receive from Atlantic Philanthropies is coming to an end and Older & Bolder is now preparing to close on June 30th 2013. Of course the work of the ...
Older & Bolder has today 13th February met with Minister Kathleen Lynch who told us that the National Positive Ageing Strategy will be published in the coming weeks.
Older & Bolder Director, Patricia Conboy said, “Older & Bolder welcomes the imminent publication of the...
The Government’s cynical decision to discontinue the Mobility Allowance and the Motorised Transport Grant is today condemned by Older & Bolder. Ms. Patricia Conboy, director of Older & Bolder said: “Successive Governments have been acting illegally in the implementation of these schemes for 12 years and have knowingly done so for the past 4 years. This current Government is now achieving legality with an action that defies logic and compassion”.
Ms. Conboy continued: “The current recipients of these benefits are exceptionally vulnerable....
It was a bittersweet day for Advocacy group Older & Bolder when the organisation hosted its closing conference in Croke Park yesterday. The main focus of the event was to celebrate Older & Bolder's achievements and to encourage its member organisations to tackle the further challenges and targets with renewed energy.
Older & Bolder director Patricia Conboy was...
Click here to read our commentary in last week's (June 4th 2013) Irish Times about how the regulation of homecare is lagging behind other areas: “It should be properly regulated in law and needs quality standards within a legal framework in the same way we now have in relation to nursing homecare.”
You can also listen back to Older & Bolder's interview on RTE radio 1 with Pamela Duncan of The Irish Times about the home care sector -...
While Older & Bolder closes on 30th June 2013 we recognise that your journey continues. You have valuable skills and expertise. Many of you are experienced campaigners and lobbyists. Our hope is that you will use all of your capabilities to continue to advocate for changes that will make Ireland a better country to grow older in.
In the ‘Our Journey Together’ conference report (page 61) we outline the method of...
On April 25 more than 150 individuals and groups who had been active in Older & Bolder campaigns participated in our final conference, ‘Our Journey Together’.
This downloadable report (PDF) records the conference highlights.
Read how participants...
