A short time ago, I read in a paper or magazine about the changes in life to come in the near future, especially for the elderly folk – and certainly for those who might be computer illiterate and may depend on other people in the family to keep them on the straight and narrow.
I finished working for Age Action last month. My 10 years with the charity have been among the most rewarding and inspiring periods of my working life. The experiences I have had with Age Action have profoundly shaped me.
The Citizens’ Assembly is inviting members of the public, representative groups and citizen organisations to make submissions on the second topic the Assembly will consider, ‘The Challenges and Opportunities of an Ageing Population’.
For years, it was a long-standing rule of thumb for health professionals to advise that we consume five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. The recent changes to Ireland’s food pyramid have altered this recommendation to between five and seven daily portions as part of a balanced diet.
Five years ago I came to Ireland to join my husband, who had then been working here for three years, writes Hana Niedermeierova. I was already fifty at that time and it was sometimes tough to find a job.
The importance of mental health care for the elderly has been recognised in recent years. In the 2006 census, people aged 65+ made up 11 per cent of the population – by 2041 this will have increased to 22 per cent.
