Forever Dublin Empowering seniors today and tomorrow By Rebecca Myers
With COVID-19 dominating the world’s stage this year – especially because of the vulnerability of older adults – Dublin has found a way to remind people that older adults have never stopped being on this community’s mind. Forever Dublin is a unique initiative led by the City of Dublin, but designed by and for Dubliners, that offers local seniors a voice in the broader conversation about “aging in place.” That means finding comfort, independence and ease in staying in your own home and own community as you grow older. It’s all about making Dublin a place for people of all ages. After hours of meetings with hundreds of people involved, Forever Dublin launched in spring 2019 out of a need to educate and encourage Dublin’s adults 55 and older as they aim to stay rooted and involved in their town. A goal of Dublin City Council, the effort provides residents making the transition into older adulthood with valuable resources to be successful in their next phase of life. Forever Dublin functions as an umbrella plan over many different services, but the Forever Dublin Hub works as that important education core. The Hub was also built for residents trying to talk to their older parents or loved ones about senior living, as well as learning to manage the stress of caring for others. Syntero, the City’s primary partner in helping bring the Forever Dublin Hub vision to light, is an emotional wellness health counseling agency that is home to the Hub office. The Hub acts as an expert provider and referral service, using an older adult specialist team and Navigators to zero in on the community’s needs, while the City serves as a dot connector to facilitate those local conversations.
14 • August/September 2020
Residents have the option of free one-onone sessions with a Navigator and ongoing learning opportunities through the Forever Dublin Hub, plus the ability to be appropriately matched with any needed services they might uncover during their personal appointments. Older adults have access to resources covering critical topics such as housing, transportation, home care, Medicare, meals, safety and emotional wellness. At the start of the year, Syntero had already chosen an annual focus that would come to be a defining theme for 2020:
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