The Monaghan Older Persons Council held its Annual General Meeting at the Creighton Hotel in Clones, and Monaghan County Council says it drew an excellent turnout from older people and community groups across the county. In the run-up to the meeting, the county's Age Friendly Ambassador, Seamus McDermott, warned that older people are being let down as more and more services move online.
The AGM and celebration event ran from 9:30am to 4pm on Friday 2 October. In a write-up published on its website, the Council said the day gave older people a chance to hear about developments affecting their lives and to learn about supports and services that help them stay active, healthy and connected.
Who spoke
The Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Cllr Aidan Campbell, and Chief Executive Robert Burns both addressed the meeting. Cllr Campbell said it was "wonderful to see such a strong turnout" and pointed to the continued commitment of older people to community life across Monaghan.
Mr Burns said the Older Persons Council "provides an important voice for older people", and that the Council remains committed to supporting age-friendly work throughout the county.
Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer of Age Friendly Ireland, gave an update on national age-friendly initiatives. She commended the work of the Monaghan Older Persons Council and praised the high level of engagement from its members. Other speakers covered topics of interest to older people, and there was time for networking and catching up with friends, community groups and service providers.
"Nobody would be left behind"
Speaking to Northern Sound before the meeting, Mr McDermott said the two big issues facing older people in the county are independence and mobility.
He said that when the Government moved services to digital, it promised that nobody would be left behind. As he understood it, money saved by going online was supposed to pay for staff to help people who can't use the online systems.
He gave the example of an older person from Monaghan with a hospital appointment in Dublin who can only book a seat for the trip online. Most people over 75 don't use the online platforms younger people take for granted, he said. Those who can't manage it have to get someone else to do it for them, which can create new problems, especially when other people end up knowing their banking and security details. He told the station that this was not fair.
He said the AGM was a good chance for older people to raise concerns and say what changes they want to see.
What the Older Persons Council does
The Older Persons Council represents older people in the county. It picks out priority needs and feeds into the decisions of the Monaghan Age Friendly Programme, and its representatives sit on the Monaghan Age Friendly Alliance. According to Age Friendly Ireland, Monaghan County Council signed up to become an Age Friendly County in September 2011, and the Older Persons Council meets every six to eight weeks. It has organised events and walkability audits around the county.
One of its best-known projects started with Mr McDermott, a former guidance counsellor at Beech Hill College in Monaghan town. Transition Year students there record a weekly news programme from Northern Standard stories, using drone footage of local villages. It is broadcast to residents of Monaghan nursing homes, and access has since been opened to other older people's groups.
Getting involved
Older people who want to join or contact the Older Persons Council can contact Monaghan County Council on 047 30500 or at [email protected] and ask for the Age Friendly Programme.
