Immediate Action Urged on Improvements to End-of-Life Experience for Older People
The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs is urging immediate action to improve the experiences of older people at end of life and renewing their call for the Government to establish an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People.
The Alliance, which represents the collective thinking of eight significant organisations working in the age sector, met today with politicians in Leinster House to outline recommendations from research and direct experience of the challenges facing older people in Ireland. The eight member organisations include Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, ALONE, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Irish Hospice Foundation, The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Third Age and Cope Galway.
The meetings come on foot of the release this week of the third in a series of publications by The Alliance, entitled Telling It Like It Is. The latest edition – Experiences of Older People at End of Life – is based on the findings of the National End of Life Survey, which was Ireland’s first nationwide survey that asked bereaved relatives and friends about the care their loved ones and friends received at the end of life.
Around 35,000 people die in Ireland each year, and demographic research shows that older people are the fastest growing population. Alliance members agree that measures are required to ensure older people are included in the conversations relating to their end-of-life care as well as recognising the urgent need for health and social services to be responsive to people as they age in their community.
Recommendations from the report include:
- Training for all those interacting with older people to support and enable them to navigate the important conversations as they approach end of life
- Accessibility of key services and supports for older people, regardless of a person’s location or care setting
- End-of-life care must also consider and include the impact on those who are left to grieve
- Continued research on trends in the experience of end of life in Ireland and a repeat of the National End of Life Survey
The Alliance says that these measures will ensure that older people are treated as equal partners in their own care and will help to progress securing the delivery and resourcing of age-appropriate services and initiatives.
Addressing politicians at the event in Leinster House, Irish Hospice Foundation CEO, Paula O’Reilly, said:
“This report comes at a time when people aged 65 and over accounted for 83% of all deaths in Ireland in 2024 and this number will continue to grow as our population ages. It is essential that these recommendations for older people and their families are introduced if we are to ensure that the end-of-life experience is improved for everyone who calls Ireland their home. As the demand for services grows, we need to make sure that we are in a position to deliver the dignity and support that every person deserves at end of their life.”
Áine Brady, CEO of Third Age, said:
“As an Alliance we recognise the importance of the voice and lived experience of older people and we want to provide opportunities for this voice to be heard by those responsible for policy implementation. As individual organisations, and as a collective entity, we hear from those we work with about the importance of a positive end-of-life experience. This Telling It Like It Is report shines a light on what this means to people and how it can be achieved.”
Denise Charlton, CEO of Community Foundation Ireland, who support the work of the Alliance, said:
“Our older adult population is growing rapidly, this report highlights the urgent need for future planning, practice and policy where older people are treated with dignity, respect, and equality. At Community Foundation Ireland, our mission is equality for all in thriving communities. We are proud to support the work of the Alliance and fully endorse the call for an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People. Such a role would be vital in ensuring older people are equal partners in their own care, with services that are age-appropriate, well-resourced, and effectively delivered. This is about creating a society where everyone, regardless of age, can live with purpose.”
The Alliance represents eight leading NGOs in the age sector, which has previously noted the lack of Government progress on policy pledges and undertakings for older people. The Alliance asserts that successful implementation of measures in this space will have a significant bearing on the future success of Ireland as a nation.
About the Alliance of Age Sector NGOs
The Alliance of Age Sector NGOs (the Alliance) represents the collective thinking of eight significant NGOs working in the age sector. As individual entities, they provide vital services and programmes for older people, support older people to contribute to and participate in community life and advocate for better policies, services and supports for older people at national and local level. Together, the Alliance collaborates to seek action on specific issues that make older people’s lives unnecessarily difficult and works together to ensure Ireland becomes a better place in which to grow older.
The eight member organisations include Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, ALONE, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Irish Hospice Foundation, The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Third Age and Cope Galway.