Age Friendly Strategy & Action Plan 2024-2027 p7
Mid And East Antrim Age Friendly Alliance
Action Plan 2024-2027
It is proposed that these steps are undertaken across 2024/25 year, with a continual review and improvement cycle, to provide scope to respond to any emerging issues in the interim.
This will ensure actions and resources are tailored to need and best placed to support older citizens across Mid and East Antrim lead fulfilling, active and rewarding lives.
Year 1
THEME: Transport
Transportation, including accessible and affordable public transport, is a key issue for people in later life.
People’s ability to move about in their locality will impact on their participation in and access to services.
Transport infrastructure and services are integral to creating an Age Friendly Community.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
While the baseline report found that public transport was viewed positively in terms of both safety and easy to find information, there is scope for improvement on timetabling and routes.
The baseline also identified a trend across the borough toward using one’s own transport among those responding.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to services, including rural communities |
Share information and undertake a mapping exercise to see what public and community transport is available and where. Focus on engagement work, exploring how to add value to existing transport provision and work in partnership to address gaps. Support community transport organisations to build capacity. |
Contribute to Age Friendly NI Network strategic priority by producing and sharing a publication on transport services available for older people living in the Borough |
Older persons benefit from integrated, accessible and sustainable transport. Older persons are able to participate meaningfully in community life. |
THEME: Housing
Safe, good quality homes are integral to maintaining and supporting health and wellbeing and community connections.
This requires provision of housing to enable people to grow older in comfort and safety in the community of their choice, supported by co-designed health and well-being solutions.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Support for home safety and security schemes has impacted positively on older people as evidenced during consultation on the baseline report.
Projects such as the Handyman service delivered by AGEWELL, Northern Ireland Housing Executive Energy Advice Line, AgeNI Independent living advice and Council’s warm space initiative illustrate the work underway to date under the Housing domain and highlight the need to avoid duplication/displacement.
These schemes should continue, especially given the borough’s ageing population and provide a framework for further work on home safety and energy efficiency given current cost of living challenges, building on work undertaken through the Affordable Warmth Scheme, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service smoke alarm checks and Council’s Energy Efficiency Advice Service.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home energy costs/cost of living concerns | Explore partnership Initiative to connect older people to range of services to support them to make their home more energy efficient. |
Deliver one information session/document to Age Friendly Alliance to raise awareness of services and increase reach. Distribute hard copy leaflets to 5000 older people living in Mid and East Antrim. |
Older people are supported to live independently in their own homes for longer. |
| Home maintenance and safety |
Explore partnership initiative to better connect older people to range of services which can support them to make their home safe. |
Review the current specification for the Agewell Handyman and Home Security Scheme initiative. | Older persons are supported to live independently in their own homes for longer. |
THEME: Civic Participation & Employment
Age Friendly communities provide opportunities for people in later life to continue to contribute to their communities.
Those options can include community and local based interventions to engage the ageing population such as volunteering, mentoring or employment.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Progress under this theme can be achieved through promotion of re-skilling and training opportunities currently available to older people and Council is already undertaking relevant actions such as the Economic Development Department’s digital and technical skills programmes.
The work of other agencies can also contribute to civic participation and employment e.g. promoting awareness of Libraries NI ICT resources (access, training and staff assistance).
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| There is a need for an Age Friendly Alliance to take ownership of the Age Friendly Agenda within Mid and East Antrim |
Convene an Age Friendly Alliance with representation from statutory, voluntary and community sectors to implement the strategy and action plan, including appointing Age Friendly champions/ambassadors across the borough. All Alliance members to work together to ensure full engagement and ownership and commit to actively participate to ensure action plan delivery. |
Establish an Age Friendly Alliance, develop Terms of Reference and a schedule of meetings. All members to sign agreed Terms of Reference. |
As individuals age they are heard, valued and respected and involved in decisions that affect them. |
THEME: Social Participation
Social participation is strongly connected to good health and wellbeing; it is important to enable people to feel connected and have a sense of belonging with the ability to maintain or establish supportive and caring relationships.
Enabling accessibility, particularly for those with mobility issues, is also key to supporting social participation.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Valuable progress has been undertaken to date in the form of Good Morning Schemes and luncheon clubs as participation tools in addition to initiatives such as Chatty Benches and Chatty Cafés.
The action plan is an opportunity to sustain and further develop these actions, recognising the impact they have had on our older population.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion |
Seek feedback on barriers experienced by older people for not engaging in community activities |
Minimum of 100 older people surveyed Facilitate one Older Person’s Forum Focus Group on survey findings to contribute to planned actions | Our older people are able to participate meaningfully in community life through accessible and welcoming spaces. |
| Accessibility |
Share “See things from my age” resource to all Alliance members to raise awareness of Age Friendly |
Resource circulated to all members. | Our older people are able to participate meaningfully in community life through accessible and welcoming public spaces. |
THEME: Respect & Social Inclusion
An Age Friendly community enables people of all backgrounds to actively participate and treats everyone with respect, regardless of age, with intergenerational activities being one way for different generations to learn from one another and develop connections.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Inter-generational work provides a valuable mechanism for inclusion and building respect across generations.
Initiatives such as Intergenerational Parliaments demonstrate the impact of this work and should continue to be supported as part of a social inclusion model.
Avoiding duplication by working in partnership with established bodies such as AGEWELL will ensure best use of resources and maximising opportunities for building respect and social inclusion.
The importance of meaningful consultation processes by public bodies with older people to identify need and identify the barriers to participation which face older people was identified through baseline consultation informing this domain.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing older people’s voices |
Establish and promote an Older Persons’ Forum with representatives across the borough, supporting them to build capacity to represent the voice of older people. |
Establishment of an Older Persons’ Forum, develop Terms of Reference and a schedule of meetings. | Our older people are heard, valued and respected plus involved in decisions that affect them. |
| Inclusion and respect |
Pilot a simple accreditation scheme for premises to become Age Friendly to include staff training, age friendly assessments, JAM cards and accessible toilet facilities. |
Roll out of Pilot scheme with a minimum of three businesses (eg.Chatty Cafes) and evaluate Scheme viability after one year | Older persons are able to participate meaningfully in community life. |
THEME: Communication & Information
Staying connected with events and people and receiving relevant information to meet personal needs is vital for active ageing.
It is important that information is up to date, practical and accessible to all.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Ongoing work in relation to internet safety and support to address the threat of scams delivered by AGEWELL was identified as being very effective in the baseline report.
It is important that such work continues, alongside Age Friendly awareness raising and facilitation with Council departments which has been delivered by AGEWELL.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicating effectively with older persons |
Focus group with Older persons eg. through Older Persons’ Forum to hear their views on communication methods Design of feedback template for Older Persons Forum Deliver Positive Ageing Month 2024 (October) calendar of events |
Presentation to Older Persons Forum on role of Age Friendly Alliance Share Age Friendly NI Network ‘How To’ Guide on Communications with Age Friendly Alliance partners Form AF Alliance Positive Ageing Month Task Group to develop and share information |
As people get older they are well informed about things that matter to them. |
| Staying connected |
Alliance members to contribute to and share Population Plus to raise awareness of the network of support, services and providers within the borough. Provide Age Friendly information boards |
% increase in number of individuals in Mid and East Antrim accessing Population Plus Install three information boards in Council’s three leisure centres |
As people get older they are well informed about things that matter to them. |
THEME: Community Support & Health Services
Community support is linked to good health and wellbeing throughout life, alongside accessible and affordable health care services.
Access to and availability of services is crucial to maintain health and independence and sustainable communities.
Achievements to date - Building on Foundations
Through its IMPACT Agewell community development integrated care project, AGEWELL has undertaken much work in this domain, working with older people through a range of actions including social prescribing using a hub health delivery model in partnership with Northern Health and Social Care Trust and Community Pharmacies.
In addition, Agewell deliver the Connect North service in Mid and East Antrim area on behalf of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and Age NI.
| Issue identified | How the Age Friendly Alliance might achieve this |
Indicators | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health programmes |
Wider promotion of affordable health, wellbeing and fitness programmes/activities for older people. |
Number of older people participating in classes or programmes in Council Leisure Centres and outreach programmes % increase in number of individuals in Mid and East Antrim area accessing Population Plus Number of events promoted through Positive Ageing Month (October) Calendar |
Older people within the borough are active, respected and supported in their community. |
It is proposed that these steps are undertaken across 2025/26 year, with a continual review and improvement cycle, to provide scope to respond to any emerging issues in the interim.
This will ensure that actions and resources are tailored to need and best placed to support older citizens across Mid and East Antrim lead fulfilling, active and rewarding lives.