Growing Older
Changing Demography
All of us are growing older and doing so for longer as a consequence of achievements in health, science and soical sciences. Indeed for the first time in human history, old age is now a normal human expectation in western society. Yet there remains an urgent need to bring quality of life and health to those extra years. We hope we can help do just that through our AgeSPIRE project.
AgeSPIRE™ for Older Adults
AgeSPIRE™ aims to inspire and promote health, well-being and understanding into later years. For older people AgeSPIRE™ encourages and empowers access to the same rights to ongoing soical, learning, health and well-being supports and opportunities as have others.
- All classes and courses at The I Can Centre are age-friendly and suitable for adults into later years. We are also very happy for people to call us ahead to discuss any queries around mobility or health.
- 1-1 CBT / counselling opportunities (see tab above) are also available to older adults, and in fact we can prioritise older people (and young people) in allocating appointments / places.
- We also run specific classes for older aduts, incl fun and informal courses that focus on personal development, well-being and health topics. In addition to bringing people together for peer support and learning, the content challenges negative or ageist stereotypes while focusing on potential, possibilities and well-being.
- AgeSPIRE™ also supports, and is participating in, age friendly
initiatives, i.e. practical changes in society to enable older people to engage fully in community life. More information shortly.
AgeSPIRE™ for Professionals
AgeSPIRE™ also involves working directly with a wide range of professional groups, and students, to help them understand and realise the potential of older adults i.e. to raise the bar about potential, while also making organisations and work places more age friendly and places where older people want to visit.
We hope that our new second edition academic textbook (see picture) will also be a valuable resource in providing accurate information that challenges stereotypes and instead alerts readers to possibilities and potential for continuing development and potential into advanced old age.
We have also been working with colleagues on age-friendly projects and initiatives in several regions incl Co Louth, and also Newry, Mourne and Down. Work on age-friendliness continues via a number of initiatives to make communities really great places in which to grow older.
Other Resources and Supports
As part of AgeSPIRE we inspire quality of life and health into later years. The following organisations can also help towards those aims:
- Men's Sheds offer community spaces for men to connect, converse and create.
- U3A (University of the Third Age) is a movement of retired and semi-retired people who come together to continue their educational, social and creative interests
- Active Retirement Ireland is a national network of groups that stand up for older people,
empower them and support them to get the most from their retirement. - Linking Generations NI aims to bring generations together in order to build communities for all ages
- Age Friendly Ireland aims to create an inclusive, equitable society in which older people can live full, active, valued and healthy lives