COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 14, 2020

MOTION NO. 18

MOTION: Councillor Peter Kavanagh

This Council reaffirms its commitment to becoming an Age Friendly County and commits to prioritising opportunities for older people to live healthy and active lives, as close to their communities as possible, supported and enabled by SDCC in its policies, actions and by the range of services and types of accommodation provided, and also commits to examine the development of further long term care facilities as they may be contrary to this aim.

REPORT:

The Draft Age Friendly County Strategy presented to the Council for consideration at this meeting (see Headed Item 17) demonstrates the range of commitments and objectives contributing to the stated aim of the draft strategy to "enhance the quality of life of older people in South Dublin through a coordinated and strategic approach to age friendly initiatives, to make South Dublin a place where older people are treated with dignity and respect, and a place where the contribution of older people to the social, economic and cultural fabric of the County is highly valued."

A Joint Policy Statement on Housing Options for our Ageing Population developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage and the Department of Health , with support from key stakeholders including the HSE, the Housing Agency and Age Friendly Ireland provides a policy framework to support our ageing population in a way that will increase the range of options available to older people across the continuum of care and give meaningful choice in how and where people choose to live as they age.  The core aim is to increase the options available to older people, provide alternatives to the traditional nursing home model and to facilitate the integration of supports in a more coherent way, particularly between the housing and health sectors.

The  Age Friendly Housing proposals being advised to the Elected Members of this Council at this meeting are a local progression of the policy statement to help provide increased numbers of exemplar age friendly housing in existing communities, proximate to services and supports.  The Development Plan review will also include the preparation of a Housing Strategy which will examine the accommodation needs of different groups of people including older people.  Compact growth is an important aspect of the national and regional growth model and will facilitate older people, as well as other groups, to live as close to their communities as possible.