Age Friendly Programme

Working to improve infrastructure, transportation, services, information and our overall response to all older people's issues across the county.

Meath Age Friendly County Programme

The Meath Age Friendly County Programme was launched in 2011, and operated under a five year strategy which began in 2012. The programme is hosted under the leadership of Meath County Council, is supported by Age Friendly Ireland and operates within the World Health Organisation framework.

The programme is built on the recognition of the valuable role that older people can and should play in shaping their communities.

The strategy gives commitments to improving key areas of infrastructure, transportation, services, information and our overall response to all older people's issues across the county. The strategy covers 8 specific themes to benefit older people.

Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings
Transportation
Housing
Respect and Social Inclusion
Social Participation
Communication and information
Civic Participation and Employment
Community Support and Health Services

Meath County Council and the Strategic Alliance launched the Meath Age Friendly County Initiative in September 2011. The Alliance ensures that all the stake holders keep the Age Friendly Focus at the heart of their services. The Meath Age Friendly Alliance meets once every quarter.

The Age Friendly programme has gone from strength to strength since 2011, The second Age Friendly strategy 2017 – 2020 was launched in 2017 and Meath County Council now host the Age Friendly Ireland shared Service in the Council Offices in Buvinda House, Navan, Co. Meath.

WHO recognition was awarded to Meath Age Friendly Programme as an Age Friendly County in a celebration in Slane Castle on the 16th of December 2019 and the Age Friendly ethos has now been embedded across all of the services that Meath County Council provides.

Examples of Age Friendly initiatives undertaken by Meath County Council Age Friendly Programme over the past number of years are

the Age Friendly designed Local Authority Houses in Proudstown, Navan,
Kells Age Friendly Library,
the Acorn older person’s tablet pilot programme,
walkability audits in Kells, Slane, Trim, Athboy, Summerhill and Enfield.
Provision of age friendly parking spaces,
participation in intergenerational project with Eureka Secondary School Kells with the “never home alone” programme and
the digital skills programme.

Meath Age Friendly programme has been shortlisted for a number of Awards such as the LAMAs, the Chambers Award and won the National Age Friendly Recognition Awards in conjunction with Fingal and Limerick County Councils for the Age Friendly Acorn tablet pilot programme. The Age Friendly / Dementia walkability in Athboy was nominated for an Excellence in Local Government Award in Berlin in November 2019.

For more detailed information on these and the other commitments / actions please refer to the Meath Age Friendly County Strategy.