A couple who are living in Ireland's first purpose-built housing with supports for older people have said it is "like living in Spain".
Richmond Place in Inchicore, which was officially opened today, is a pilot project designed to reduce reliance on hospital and nursing home care and to facilitate downsizing from larger council homes.
Madeline Farrell Smith and Paddy Smith, who are in their 70s, lived for decades in a council house in Ballyfermot and, after deciding to downsize, moved to Richmond Place in Inchicore.
Paddy said the development is like living in Spain, while Madeline said that although their new house is physically smaller it feels much more spacious.
She said the maintenance of the house and especially the large garden in Ballyfermot became too much for the couple, adding: "Paddy was half dead doing it, he loved the garden, and the fact that we were able to have a little garden here, just a few plants here and there. That's enough for us."
She said: "I had a three-bedroom house but the downstairs was very small, but here it is twice the size of our sitting room."
Eileen Battersby, who is 64, lives next door with her guide dog Yehven and said her new home is much better suited to her needs than the smaller apartment in Chapelizod with stairs that she lived in before.
She said the wraparound supports provided in the complex, which help her write letters or fill in forms, are also vital.
"The support here is just amazing. We have neighbours and friends, and we have support from ALONE who couldn't do enough for us.
"It's just such a secure feeling of being in a place where you know you're safe and you can go and talk to somebody. My vision isn't good and I'm getting on, you know, so it's a brilliant solution for me," Eileen said.
The 52 social housing apartments are accessible and have a representative from ALONE on site 24/7.
The units are large enough for other family members or carers to stay with older residents and are home to 68 people.
The €26 million project was delivered through a partnership between Circle Voluntary Housing Association, Dublin City Council, ALONE, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Age Friendly Ireland.
The development has won a number of awards and is described as a first-of-its-kind model.
It is focused on enabling older people to live independently in their communities, with on-site health support services, as well as shared indoor and outdoor spaces that help reduce isolation.
ALONE Chief Executive Seán Moynihan said the agency will have a 24/7 non-medical presence.
"Our team will be here 24 hours a day, working with residents to promote well-being, prevent isolation and ensure every person feels secure and connected.
"This is a powerful example of how the right supports, delivered at the right time, can transform lives," he said.
Minister for Housing James Browne described Richmond Place as an essential development.
"We have changing demographics and we have to respond to them and be innovative and responsive.
"Developments like this will be central to ensuring that more homes for older people with differing needs are delivered," Mr Browne said.
John Hannigan, CEO of Circle Voluntary Housing Association, said the hope is that this model can be replicated throughout the country
"We know that Ireland is aging quite rapidly. There has been some evidence and some research done that demonstrates this saves the State a huge amount of money per person per week, because people are not in nursing homes.
"As a result of that, we think that this can be scaled up and scaled down to fit any town or village across Ireland."
