Policies for Ageing Well at Home in Ireland: Health and Wellbeing 2025
As society undergoes significant transformations, such as demographic shifts, how we navigate these changes is crucial. ALONE and Social Justice Ireland believe that all individuals should be supported to age well in the community, and that this should be Government’s overarching policy goal for an ageing population. Meeting the health needs of an ageing population is a key challenge in achieving this goal.
According to Census 2022, there were 1,048,985 people aged 60+ in Ireland on Census night, an increase of 19.7 per cent on Census 2016. Looking the future, based on projections by the Central Statistics Office, the proportion of individuals aged 65+ will increase by 70 per cent between 2022 and 2040; an increase of more than half a million people. Public policy must support the additional needs that arise as more people live longer and as the demography of our population changes.
The policy recommendations outlined in this paper provide a pathway towards ensuring a greater quality of life for older people in Ireland. By creating the right conditions to support the health needs of an ageing population, we can enable people to remain part of their community and age in place in maximum comfort and dignity in their homes.
To complement the long-term vision set out in this policy paper, we have developed a dedicated Budget submission outlining the immediate steps needed to begin its implementation. While this paper identifies the strategic direction public policy must take to meet the needs of an ageing population, the accompanying Budget document focuses on the near-term actions and investments required to realise that vision. It proposes targeted, costed measures that can be introduced from next year to strengthen community supports, expand health and care services, and enable older people to age safely and with dignity in their homes. These recommendations provide a concrete starting point for building the kind of inclusive, age friendly society envisioned in the 2013 National Positive Ageing Strategy.