ALONE expresses disappointment that there was little mention of issues that affect older people in Leaders Debate

ALONE “A Vote For Older People Is A Vote For Your Future” #AGE16

 Dublin, 23rd February 2016  ALONE are extremely disappointed that there was little mention in tonight’s Leaders Debate of the 600,000 older people entitled to vote this coming Friday.

CEO of ALONE, Sean Moynihan said, “There was no mention, no vision, no plans given for the 600,000 voters over the age of 65 years of age. That is 100,000 extra since the last election. It is as if they were invisible.”

He continued, “We are asking the public to consider the needs of older people a priority when making their decisions on Election Day. Prioritising the needs of our older people is something that everyone should take an interest in as inevitably we all grow older and the decisions we make now will impact us later. We urge the public to vote for candidates with strong policies on ageing and older people. After all a vote for older people is a vote for your future.”

In their General Election Manifesto #AGE16 ALONE are asking the political parties to implement plans for our ageing demographic and commit to four key aspects that will ensure Ireland’s older population are supported to age at home with dignity.

ALONE are a national, quality approved charity and have developed unique cost effective models that supports older people to age at home.  Their #AGE16 campaign for this general election is asking the government to support older persons to age at home through:

• Greater investment in services in the community
• Alternative models of housing for older people
• Securer pensions
• The Appointment of a Minister for our Ageing Demographic

Moynihan commented “We feel that ALONE’s manifesto lays out very reasonable and achievable goals for the next Government. Every year there is an extra 20,000 older people in Ireland, and this figure is expected to continue growing exponentially. We are an independently funded charity and we work every day to provide services to people who are falling between the cracks. We are just asking that the Government prioritises supports for older people so that we can ensure that Ireland is a place where everyone can age at home if it is their wish.”

“It’s clear that we need to radically change how we support our older demographic.  We urgently need to look at how we can enable a greater number of older people to age in our communities, because continuing with the same model of overcrowding in hospital and emergency departments and high numbers in nursing home care is simply not sustainable.  As well as being what most people want, ageing at home also makes economic sense. It is vital that plans to enable ageing at home are included in the programme for government.”

Join the conversation about the ALONE’s General Election 16 Manifesto using #AGE16. To view ALONE’s manifesto in full visit: http://alone.ie/campaigns/alones-election-campaign-age16/

For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person in the community, ALONE can be contacted on (01) 679 1032. For more information about ALONE’s manifesto visit www.alone.ie