Healthy Age Friendly Homes programme rolls out in Mayo
HEALTHY Age Friendly Homes (HAFH), a first-of-its-kind programme to enable older adults in Mayo to continue living independently, has been launched nationwide.
This joint health and local government programme, recognised globally as a best practice example of coordinated support services, will assist up to 10,500 older adults each year through timely interventions. It is estimated that the programme will result in an annual saving of €41.5 million to the State through the prevention of hospitalisation and early or unnecessary admission to long-term residential care.
The programme’s key partners include the Department of Health, Health Service Executive (HSE), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Age Friendly Ireland, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Expanding to all 31 local authorities, local Healthy Age Friendly Homes coordinators will manage support packages - across housing, health, technology, finance, energy efficiency and social/community - for each person referred. Home-based assessments will identify a diverse range of supports to enable the older person to continue living independently, whether in their own home or in more suitable housing. These supports could include housing adaptations, rightsizing to a more appropriate home, and assistive technology such as age-friendly tablets or wearable PanPan.
It will also provide connections to services such as occupational therapists, social and community groups like Meals on Wheels and transportation to hospital appointments.
Speaking about the support she received through the pilot scheme, 75-year-old Dublin resident Nola Watt said: “Transitioning to a more suitable home was initially daunting, but the support from Age Friendly Ireland and my Local Healthy Age Friendly Homes coordinator made it a smooth process. I moved from a three-bedroom house to an apartment that perfectly suits my current needs.
“I encourage other older adults to explore the services offered. For me, it was rightsizing, but for others, it could be anything from getting assistance in applying for a housing adaptation grant to getting a personal alarm in case of a fall. It’s reassuring to know there’s a network of support dedicated to helping us live well as we age.”
An evaluation conducted by Maynooth University involving over 2,130 participants during the pilot phase revealed significant improvements in self-reported health status, quality of life, social support, and functional ability.
More than 50% of research participants now feel they have strong levels of social support, a 9% increase, with almost 4 out of 5 research participants reporting having greater self-belief in their ability to respond to new or difficult situations.
Minister for Local Government and Planning, Alan Dillon, launching the report, said: “Positive ageing is a priority for this government and ensuring older people make informed decisions on their housing needs is key. The policy context for delivery of Healthy Age Friendly Homes is Housing for All, which sets out to increase the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing with dignity and independence, including an emphasis on rightsizing and health supports for ageing in place.
“Healthy Age Friendly Homes has great potential to be a major component in the broader strategy to prepare society for the projected increase in the older demographic.”
HAFH services are available across all 31 local authorities in Ireland. Applications can be made through the HAFH national office or online at https://agefriendlyireland.ie/healthy-age-friendly-homes-programme/.