Roscommon’s Age Friendly Programme is delivered by Roscommon County Council and works to improve the services and facilities that our older people have identified as being important to them and the wider community, as they live healthy and active lives.  The programme involves a multiagency, multi-sectoral approach to age-related planning and service provision. 

The population of Ireland is ageing, with life expectancy increasing and older people continuing to be an active and vibrant part of our community. According to the Census 2022 results, the total population of Roscommon is 70,259 people. The section of the population over the age of 65 in County Roscommon has grown by 21% since 2016 to 13,041. Roscommon’s ageing population is growing faster than the national average. We aim to represent the voice of older people and to support and participate in the development of Roscommon as a great place in which to grow old.  

Roscommon’s local structure of is made up of the following:-

Older People’s Council

Roscommon Older People’s Council (OPC) represents the voices and lived experiences of our older people and promotes their inclusion in all areas of community life. The role of Roscommon’s OPC is to identify areas of needs, raise issues of importance, inform and influence the decision-making process of the Roscommon Age Friendly Programme and participate in national level structures. The membership is made up of individual older people and older people’s groups. Please email agefriendly@roscommoncoco.ie if you are interested in becoming a member.

Age Friendly Alliance

The Age Friendly Alliance is a high-level cross-sector group, chaired by our Chief Executive, whose member agencies form an overarching strategic partnership. The Age Friendly Alliance is a collaborative effort that unites older people, community groups and service providers from various sectors to transform attitudes towards ageing and improve the design and delivery of services for the older people. Our Age Friendly Alliance brings together older people and service providers to change thinking about ageing and how services to our older people are planned and delivered.

Age Friendly Programme Manager

Each Local Authority Age Friendly Programme is coordinated by the Age Friendly Programme Manager who plays a fundamental role in the implementation of the Age Friendly Programme across Ireland. In Roscommon this role is filled by Sheila Coyle, she works with her local Alliance to develop and implement an Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plans. She adopts initiatives that respond to priorities raised at local level and supports the scaling up and replication of good practices across all participating age friendly programme areas. She supports the local Older People’s Council and is the primary contact for same.

Age Friendly Programme Manager: Sheila Coyle

Contact Number: 090 66 37132/087 1508511

Email Address: agefriendly@roscommoncoco.ie        

Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinator

The Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme aims to support older people to live in their home with dignity and independence for as long as possible.

There is a Local Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinator in all local authorities, in Roscommon this is Amanda Scanlon.  She case manages a support package for each person referred to her, linking the supports from the variety of public, voluntary, private and community agencies in the area. She carries out a home-based assessment and, in partnership with the older person, identifies and designs a range of supports to enable the older person to continue living independently. This does affect any current home help, medical card, pension or other services being received.

The service is free of charge and available to anyone aged 65+ years

Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinator: Amanda Scanlon

National Office Telephone: 046-924 8899

General Enquiries:healthyagefriendlyhomes@meathcoco.ie

Referrals:referralshafh@meathcoco.ie

Age Friendly Technical Advisor

There is an Age Friendly Technical Advisor in every local authority providing specialist housing advice to members of the public and organisations. They provide specialist advice to the authority itself, to private sector organisations interested in providing age friendly housing and to the general public.

Roscommon’s Age Friendly Technical Advisor is Vincent Walsh.

Age Friendly Ambassador

Every local authority in Ireland has its own Age Friendly Ambassador, we are privileged in Roscommon to have Paddy Joe Burke as ours.

This role is carried out by a local high profile person in each county who represents the local Age Friendly Programme on behalf of the Older People’s Councils. This is an honorary position that has the potential to have a big impact.

Paddy Joe’s role includes promoting the need to be Age Friendly and supporting the local Age Friendly Programme to raise awareness of Age Friendly initiatives. As unquestionably Roscommon GAA’s most passionate fan, Paddy Joe brings an energy and profile to the role, celebrating and empowering the lives of our older persons.

Roscommon’s Older People’s Council with our Age Friendly Ambassador, Paddy Joe Burke