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IRISH RED CROSS AND AGE ACTION WELCOME FUNDRAISING BOOST TO OVERSUBSCRIBED HARDSHIP FUND

Press Release

The Irish Red Cross and Age Action today welcomed RTÉ correspondent Fergal Bowers’ COVAID initiative as a huge boost to their Hardship Fund. Reporting an unprecedented level of interest in the fund, they said the fund would otherwise struggle to meet the level of need being expressed.

The Hardship Fund, which was set up in a partnership with the Irish Red Cross and Age Action, was put in place to help older, vulnerable people who had been experiencing additional financial burden due to the Covid-19 crisis. Over €25,000 from the fund has already been allocated to applicants.

Call for Equal Access to Appropriate Treatment Options for all Older People

Press Release
Policy

(18 April) The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs wish to acknowledge the care being given to our nursing home residents during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to call for equal access to appropriate treatment options for all older people guided by the principles within the Ethical Framework for Decision-Making in a Pandemic (Department of Health 2020).

Age alone should never be a barrier to realising one’s right to health.  In its position adopted on 3rd April 2020, Alzheimer Europe considers it unacceptable to systematically restrict access to ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic to people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, or people living in nursing homes.

Age Action and Active Retirement Ireland Criticise Fianna Fáil & Fine Gael’s Framework for Coalition for Largely Ignoring Older People

Press Release
Campaign

(16 April) Active Retirement Ireland and Age Action have responded to a framework document published by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil with disappointment at the lack of commitments to older people and our ageing population. The document, which will inform coalition talks between the two political parties and potential coalition partners, was published yesterday and both NGOs have expressed concern that older people are being “largely ignored”.

 

Age Action calls for urgent coordinated national response to looming homecare crisis

Press Release
Policy

(14 April 2020) Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation for older people, today called on the Minister for Health to ensure there is a nationally coordinated response to manage the impact of COVID-19 on home care provision.

It is expected that up to 3,000 home care workers may be deployed to nursing home settings in the coming weeks to support the COVID-19 response measures which means that some people are being told that their home supports are being reduced or suspended.

PHARMACISTS AND AGE ACTION RECOMMEND DEFERRAL OF PRESCRIPTION LEVY IPU Issue latest advice on accessing medicines during Covid-19 Pandemic

Press Release
Policy

8 April 2020: The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) and Age Action have called for the Medical Card prescription levy to be suspended for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. The IPU said that the measure is proving especially difficult for cocooning patients to administer and that suspending it would remove a barrier to vulnerable patients accessing medicines.

Commenting, IPU Secretary General Darragh O’Loughlin said, “One of the many challenges being experienced by people who are following official advice to cocoon at home is accessing medicines. This is being experienced most acutely by people over 70 or those with underlying conditions, the very people who are more likely to require regular medicines.

Older people’s organisations say Government response to financial pressure of COVID-19 is piecemeal and inadequate

Press Release
Policy

 (Tuesday, 31 March 2020) Age Action and Active Retirement Ireland have described the Government extension of the fuel allowance as ‘piecemeal and inadequate’.

 Age Action & Active Retirement Ireland today criticized the piecemeal nature of the Government’s response to the financial challenges facing older people affected by the COVID-19 crisis. They argue that close to 70% of pensioners will not benefit from the announcement.

Age Action and the Irish Red Cross launch COVID-19 Hardship Fund to Assist Older People

Press Release
Campaign

(Tuesday, 31 March 2020) Older people facing additional hardship as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic can apply for financial support from Age Action and the Irish Red Cross.

 Age Action and the Irish Red Cross are launching a COVID-19 Hardship Fund in partnership to support people experiencing difficulties meeting costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.  Unexpected costs can put an added strain on older people and the Hardship Fund will assist with the costs of increased food bills and associated delivery costs, replacing or upgrading essential small appliances, additional transport, energy or communication costs and the costs of additional safety or security equipment to enable older people to remain safe and well in their homes.

 

Age Action is Calling on the Minister for Health and the HSE to Ensure the Protection of Persons with a Disability Living in Large Congregated Settings

Press Release
Policy

(29 March) Age Action today called on the Minister for Health Simon Harris to ensure that the HSE take immediate and urgent measures to protect persons with a disability living in large congregated settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 clusters were reported in 3 residential settings and 17 nursing homes which accounts for 22% of the total number of COVID-19 clusters /outbreaks in Ireland according to data prepared by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre for NPHET on 28/03/20.

New COVID-19 Measures Announced by an Taoiseach 27 March 2020

Policy

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced new measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 or the Corona Virus on the evening of 27 March.

Included in the measures is a concept known as cocooning; this means that those who are over 70 years or those extremely medically vulnerable should not leave their homes, and within their homes should minimise all non-essential contact with other members of their household. This is to protect those who are at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 from coming into contact with the virus.  

 

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