A new well-being programme to combat loneliness and isolation, and to support older people to become more aware of and prioritise their mental health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been launched by Active Retirement Ireland.
Funded by Mental Health Ireland, the programme will be delivered by Active Retirement Ireland which is the country's largest membership organisation for older people.
The aim of the programme is to help members "laugh more, stress less, live better", according to the CEO of the organisation, Maureen Kavanagh.
The programme was launched at Active Retirement Ireland's AGM in Sligo today where Ms Kavanagh said "mental well-being is vital for healthy and positive ageing".
"Mental health challenges are not only experienced by young people or those of working age but older people too.
"In fact, we know that many of the catalysts for poor mental health - such as financial hardship, the ending of a career, loneliness, loss of a loved one, and reduced physical well-being - also form the lived experience of many older people and often in combination.
"More and more older people are reporting issues relating to mental health and we have CSO data that shows that one in ten suicides in Ireland from 2015–2019 were by people aged 65 and over.
"In addition, a great many older people in Ireland are still feeling the deep impacts of a pandemic response which saw their independence and autonomy taken from them and which left them living in fear and isolation for more than two years."
The new well-being programme was developed by Ómra Support Agency with older people, for older people.
Ms Kavanagh said that it is a grassroots programme that seeks to provide a facilitated, safe space for older people to have conversations about mental health and their experiences but also importantly to be heard, while supporting others to do the same.
"The programme is focused on connection, feelings of purpose and meaning, lightening a load and on friendship as well, through exercises, activities and discussions," she said.
It will be facilitated by Active Retirement Association members who are being upskilled to facilitate "safe space sessions".
Training will begin this summer and is open to all association members and when complete the programme will be rolled out to Active Retirement Associations across the country.
Ms Kavanagh described the programme as "a long game" and said it "will require long-term funding and support to be able to ensure all older people are supported to thrive in later life".
