Today marks the United Nations annual International Day of Older Persons, it’s an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and this year’s theme is ‘The Journey to Age Equality’. The UN are encouraging people and organisations to take a stand against age inequality, by challenging negative stereotypes and misconceptions about ageing. It’s estimated that the number of people in Ireland aged 65 and over has increased by 32.8 per cent since 2007, a faster rate of growth than other EU countries. It is expected to have significant implications on healthcare demand and expenditure.

Older persons have always been a huge part of our organisation, being a HSE preferred provider of homecare to older persons and a member of Home & Community Care Ireland, our ethos has always been to provide older people with the best possible care, from a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of healthcare staff, helping to nurture our clients independence and allow them to continue living at home.

What distinguishes us from other healthcare providers is the time and effort we put into making Communicare a client centered company in every sense of the word. We believe that good practice comes from within, which is why we invest in recruiting and training the very best healthcare professionals in Ireland.

The theme of equality for older persons is in line with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, specifically SDG10 and the target to reduce inequality within and among countries and ensure equal opportunities for all. As individuals, it is our duty to defend the rights of all, including older persons and to promote their participation in social, economic and political life as a means of ensuring their inclusiveness.