Commissioner for Older People seeks your views on priorities for action
28 July, 2016
The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland will be asking older people to meet him at a series of events across the region to he…
Commissioner's priorities for action
It is important to the Commissioner, Eddie Lynch, that his work reflects the opinions of older people. Following his appointment the Commissioner held a series of engagment events across Northern Ireland to hear older people's views on his draft priorities for action.
The Commissioner formed his priorities for action for his term by considering the issues identified through research, casework queries directed to the COPNI office and from speaking with older people.
Click here to download Respect, Value and Protect: Corporate Plan 2016-2020
In compiling the list of priorities for action, some difficult choices had to be made based on the resources available to the Commissioner. Careful consideration was also given to those areas where the Commissioner believes his legal powers and duties can be most effective in creating positive change for older people in Northern Ireland.
The Commissioner's priorities for action are:
Supporting our ageing population by promoting positive ageing and ending age discrimination
- A Programme for Government which priorities older people
- An Active Ageing Strategy for Northern Ireland that is resourced and implemented
- Ending age discrimination for older people in Northern Ireland
- Older people are connected to their communities and do not experience loneliness and social isolation
- Older people are supported to plan and have conversations about their third age.
Better health and social care
- Examine circumstances of concern in nursing and residential care of older people
- Independently champion improvements for older people in the reforms of health and social care. policy and practice, including dementia care
Tackling financial abuse and scams and protecting older victims of crime
- Ensure older people are better protected from all forms of crime, abuse and neglect
- Conduct research into the experience of older victims of crime
Over my term I will be focusing on how we can create a society which respects, values and protects older people.
Engagement on the Commissioner's draft priorities
The Commissioner held a series of events across Northern Ireland to meet with older people, their families and carers and find out about the issues that matter to them.
Meeting hundreds of older people in Ballymena, Cookstown, Derry/Londonderry, Belfast, Armagh, Enniskillen, Newry and beyond, the Commissioner heard about issues including pensions, dementia, crime, age related health conditions and caring.
