Louth Age-Friendly Parlours

Initiative title: Louth Age Friendly County Website & Parlours Reach:

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Local

[ ] National

County: Louth Theme:

[ ] Lead healthier & active lives for longer [  ] Stay living in our own homes and communities [  ] Get to where we need to go, when we need to [  ] Be enabled by the built and social environment [ ] Feel and be safe at home and out and about [  ] Have the information we need to live full lives [  ] Be truly valued and respected [  ] Participate in social, economic and public life [ ] Continue to learn, develop and work

Contact: Mary Deery, Administrative Office, Louth Local Authorities, County Hall, Dundalk

042 9324 389 Mobile 086 803 2686 Website: www.louthagefrienldycounty.ie

Issue/ Opportunity: The single most important issue for older people identified in the workshops leading up to the development of the Louth Age Friendly County Strategy was information on services and entitlements for older people in a “One Stop Shop” format.

The Louth Citizen’s Information Services, as their contribution to the Louth Age Friendly County Initiative, developed a booklet on information on services for older people. The format of the booklet was a particular success with the information presented under key

headings such as Supports for Living at Home, Supports for Nursing Home Care, Transport etc.

As a result a subgroup of the LAFA was set up to take the data from the CIS booklet and develop a website and communications model that would assist older people in accessing information as close to their own environment as possible.

What was done: The Louth Age Friendly Communications Group was formed with key IT people from Louth County Council, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Louth Leader Partnership, HSE North East and older people. One of the objectives of the group was to develop a website based on the information collected by Louth CIS and presented in the same way. The website was designed to be used by older people, families of older people, frontline services for older people and public services for older people (“No wrong door”).

The LOPF had business cards developed with the website address, the Louth Age Friendly Lo-­‐call phone number and key numbers such as the Good Morning Call Service, the Senior Help Line, the HSE Lo-­‐call number and the CIS Information Line. To date over 1000 cards were distributed in the county. In addition the LOPF worked with a graphic designer to produce posters promoting the website and distributed them to GP waiting rooms, HSE outlets, Garda stations, Churches etc. The use of photographs was instrumental in engaging older people to access the website.

The process was facilitated by the Louth Age Friendly Project Manager and required key inputs from all participants. Older people drew up case studies to present on the website to simulate giving information in a real environment. They collected photographs, agreed formats and validated information as the design progressed. The information from statutory agencies was also validated by appointed people within the different agencies.

Finally, the website was tested on 70 older people in 2 IT classes for older people in Louth Leader Partnership and DkIT Age Action classes. The website is now on the curriculum of all IT classes for older people delivered by LLP and Age Action in Louth.

The Parlour The concept of the “Parlour” was also developed by Louth Older People’s Forum where older people’s frontline services such as Drogheda and District Support 4 Older People,

Drogheda Senior Citizen’s Interest Group and Cuidigh Linn provide drop in centres where older people can call in to find out information on services, access care and repair, safety and security pendants and care to drive services. The Parlours use the website to access information in a one-­‐stop-­‐shop format. The Great Northern Haven is also deemed a Parlour where older people residing in the GNH use the communal space to meet other older people in the community for classes, information sessions and social gatherings.

Key achievements: The website has been identified as a success in that other counties see the merit in replicating it due to the similarity in data content and the simplicity of design. Plans are already underway to allow this to happen.

Many connections have been made from the private, public and educational research sector to access older people to garner their opinion on various topics and the Louth Age Friendly stakeholders to seek guidance on making a place age friendly.

For further information go to www.louthagefriendlycounty.ie