Five questions were addressed in the workshops:

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2 This report represents the findings of the workshops held during the Louth Age Friendly County Initiative seminar. Participants in the workshops included, representatives from nursing homes, representatives from the Alzheimer's Society, elected members of Louth Local Authorities, officials from Louth Local Authorities, HSE, and state agencies, members of Louth County Development Board, representatives from Louth Community and Voluntary Forum, members of the National Age Well Network, representatives from the church and members of Comhairle na nog. The seminar was held to launch Louth as an Age Friendly County. The purpose of the seminar was to stimulate ambition and gain the support of likely players in the Louth AFC initiative, by allowing them hear from successful projects elsewhere, to identify the opportunities and key challenges/barriers that players will face in making this happen, and to engage the support of leaders at national level in helping address those challenges. Five questions were addressed in the workshops: 1. Key Features: What do we think should be the key elements of the Louth Age-Friendly County initiative? 2. Older People: What do we need to do to ensure that are involved in developing and implementing the Louth Age-Friendly County Plan? Given the large number of groups in the county, many locally based, what sort of structure do we need to create? 3. Partnership: What can we do to strengthen co-operation and partnership between the statutory agencies and between the statutory agencies and others - 's organisations, business, NGOs etc? 4. Better use of resources: What can we do to make better use of existing resources? The transport initiative is one example, what are others? 5. Challenges: What are the key challenges to making this happen? What are the challenges that can be resolved here in Louth, what needs to be resolved at national level?

3 The seminar management group agreed to align the comments collated from the seminar with the key features of an age friendly city identified by the World Health Organisation. World Health Organisation (WHO) Checklist for age friendly cities 1. Outdoor spaces and buildings Public areas clean and pleasant. Green spaces and outdoor seating sufficient in number, well-maintained and safe. Pavements well-maintained, free of obstructions and reserved for pedestrians. Pavements non-slip, wide enough for wheelchairs and have dropped curbs to road level. Pedestrian crossings sufficient in number and safe for people with different levels and types of disability. Nonslip markings, visual and audio cues and adequate crossing times. Drivers give way to pedestrians at intersections and pedestrian crossings. Cycle paths separate from pavements and pedestrian walkways. Outdoor safety promoted by good street lighting, police patrols and community education. Services situated together and accessible. Special customer service arrangements provided, e.g. separate queues or service counters for older Buildings well-signed outside and inside, with sufficient seating and toilets, accessible elevators, ramps, railings stairs. Non-slip floors. Public toilets both outdoors and indoors sufficient in number, clean, well-maintained and accessible. Provide seating around key locations e.g. churches, hospitals, shopping centre, supermarkets, post offices and in pedestrian areas Ensure sufficient time to cross at traffic lights Maintain footpaths Facilitate walking in rural areas re traffic dangers Joint Policing Committee to target basic measures addressing crime and fear of crime among e.g. regular patrols, no cold callers. Older Persons' Forum Create an overarching assembly with local reps and administration (consider existing structures CDB and RAPID) Could establish a dedicated sub-committee from CDB because all agencies already represented at this level. Representative Senior coordinating council - one person from each group e.g. Community Garda, Elderly help services, Meals on Wheels, Senior Citizens Parliament County coordinator e.g. Council official / HSE / Gardai Advisory committee made up of active retirement groups Older Persons Officer (elected official) to act as a champion within Local Authority [The enablers suggested in this column apply to each of the 8 action areas]

4 2. Transportation Public transportation costs should be consistent, clearly displayed and affordable. Public transportation reliable/frequent, including at night, weekends and holidays. All areas and services accessible by public transport - good connections and well-marked routes and vehicles. Vehicles clean, well-maintained, accessible, not overcrowded and have priority seating that is respected. Specialized transportation available for disabled Drivers to stop at designated stops and beside the curb to facilitate boarding and wait for passengers to be seated before driving off. Transport stops and stations conveniently located, accessible, safe, clean, well-lit and well-marked, with adequate seating and shelter. Complete and accessible information is provided to users about routes, schedules and special needs facilities. A voluntary transport service is available where public transportation is too limited. Taxis accessible and affordable. Drivers courteous and helpful. Provide regular bus service Provide affordable accessible transport Connectivity between towns and villages Connectivity - gear existing services to meet needs of Provide rural transport e.g. use taxi vouchers where bus service absent Louth Leader Partnership - provide door to door service Improve service delivery of Dundalk/Newry route Driving Miss Daisy service (private funded) DkIT transport programme Omeath cut off Link Blackrock service with train service Provide bus stops outside hospital doors Utilise new transport initiative via Louth Leader Partnership Make use school buses where possible Roads well-maintained, with covered drains and good lighting. Traffic flow well-regulated. Roadways free of obstructions that block drivers' vision. Traffic signs and intersections are visible and well - placed. Driver education and refresher courses are promoted for all drivers. Parking and drop-off areas safe, sufficient in number and conveniently located. Priority parking and drop-off spots for people with special needs are available and respected.

5 3. Housing Sufficient, affordable housing available in areas that are safe and close to services and the rest of the community. Sufficient and affordable home maintenance and support services available. Housing well-constructed and provides safe and comfortable shelter from the weather. Housing - how do live Use SIMON Community as resource re design of housing etc for. Prioritize housing adaptations to allow people to live as long as possible at home. Help to feel safe at home. Interior spaces and level surfaces allow freedom of movement in all rooms and passageways. Home modification options/supplies available and affordable. Providers understand the needs of older Public and commercial rental housing clean, wellmaintained and safe. Sufficient and affordable housing for frail and disabled, with appropriate services, provided locally. 4. Social participation Venues for events and activities conveniently located, accessible, well-lit and easily reached by public transport. Events held at times convenient for. Activities and events can be attended alone or with a companion. Activities and attractions affordable, with no hidden or additional participation costs. Good information about activities and events provided, including details about accessibility of facilities and transportation options for. A wide variety of activities offered to appeal to a diverse population of. Gatherings including are held in various local community spots, e.g. recreation centres, schools, libraries, community centres and parks. Address loneliness-need point of contact e.g. telephone Isolation, use of IT to communicate with family abroad, Skype Address isolation of within community e.g. phones in the home Facilitate meeting of active retirement/senior citizens groups e.g. room in shopping centre, drop in centres, empty schools Ensure that people in residential care are not excluded Champion for in each parish & community Consistent outreach to include people at risk of social isolation.

6 5. Respect and social inclusion Older people visible in media, and depicted positively - no stereotyping. Older people regularly consulted by public, voluntary and commercial services on how to serve them better. Services/products to suit varying needs /preferences provided by public and commercial services. Service courteous/helpful. Activities/events attract all generations by accommodating age-specific needs and preferences. Older people specifically included in community activities for "families". Schools provide opportunities to learn about ageing and, and involve in school activities. Older people are recognised by community for their past as well as their present contributions. Older people who are less well-off have good access to public, voluntary and private services. Anti-ageism Positive image campaign Foster an appreciation of Design ways to create more respect for older Press - introduction of a Seniors Page Social Inclusion Foster involvement - creative arts festival Promoting Intergenerational contacts Raise awareness of 's needs e.g. Use transition year students/youthreach (President's Programme) and have a structured project in place Promote greater intergenerational contact e.g. Age Friendly Day in schools Create initiatives for older/younger people e.g. learning to knit Remove barriers so old and young people can work together e.g. Tidy Towns Committees Leaders in areas i.e. trusted reps to speak on behalf of

7 6. Civic participation and employment Range of flexible options for older volunteers available, with training, recognition, guidance and compensation for personal costs. Qualities of older employees well promoted. Promote range of flexible and appropriately paid opportunities for to work. Age discrimination forbidden in the hiring, retention, promotion and training of employees. Workplaces adapted to meet the needs of disabled Promote and support self-employment options for Promotion of in education - IT awareness needed Training of staff-senior friendly training model Explore structure to enable to identify priorities for action. Leaders in areas i.e. trusted reps to speak on behalf of Provide training in post-retirement options for older workers. Decision-making bodies (public, private/voluntary) encourage and facilitate membership of. 7. Communication & information Basic, effective communication system reaches community residents of all ages. Regular and widespread distribution of information is assured and a coordinated, centralised access is provided. Offer regular information and broadcasts of interest to. Oral communication accessible to is promoted. People at risk of social isolation get one-to-one information from trusted individuals. Public and commercial services provide friendly, person-to-person service on request. Printed information - including official forms, television captions and text on visual displays - has large lettering and the main ideas are shown by clear headings and bold text. Uses simple, familiar words in short, straightforward sentences in print and spoken communications. Telephone answering services give instructions slowly and clearly and tell callers how to repeat the message at any time. Large buttons and big lettering on electronic equipment, e.g. mobile telephones, radios, televisions, and bank and ticket machines. There is wide public access to computers and the Internet, at no or minimal charge, e.g. government offices, community centres and libraries. Promote communication between community alert groups, residents associations, resource centres, drop in centres, community time bank. Ensure access to information held by HSE Make information user friendly. Provide comprehensive Information booklet on services Provide user friendly forms Speak to people not machines (dedicated older person's officer to assist ) Provide information sessions on rights of older people Define structures and represent them in a clear manner-documenting so that senior person knows where to find information Use radio, network groups to distribute information Dedicated slot on radio to highlight entitlements and activities News letters to churches, post, local radio, media. Free-phone number also a possibility Dedicated Older Persons Officer in LA A panel of to consult for advice on accessing local services might be a good idea. Service brokers for

8 8. Community and health services Adequate range of health and community support services offered for promoting, maintaining and restoring health. Home care services include health, personal care and housekeeping. Health and social services conveniently located and accessible by all means of transport. Residential care facilities and designated older people's housing located close to services and the rest of community. Health and community service facilities safely constructed and fully accessible. Clear and accessible information provided about health and social services for. Delivery of services coordinated and administratively simple. Staff are respectful, helpful and trained to serve older Minimize economic barriers impeding access to health and community support services Voluntary services by people of all ages encouraged and supported. Sufficient and accessible burial sites. Community emergency planning takes into account the vulnerabilities and capacities of. Do not medicalise old age Divide home care into shorter visits to enable more frequent visits. Develop integrated primary care teams. Provide service to help with small domestic tasks Make accessing financial services easier (e.g. Snow Angel "buddy service") Make better use of existing services like An Post bill pay, MABS etc Provide Doctor on call Promote age friendliness e.g. award for shops / businesses (sticker on window) Business - set up initiatives which provide discounts for Coordination of services: Partnership approach e.g. pool resources Cross agency co-operation e.g. NGO's, government agencies Source everything that is available i.e. research all information or services in the County (SWOT analysis) Volunteerism: Facilitate volunteering among young people e.g. turn volunteerism into work experience. TY Students achieve credits by helping in projects Provide training for young people Local Authority proactive in providing information on services. Age Friendly Initiative facilitated at local and national levels Age Friendly Initiative embedded in LA. Designed by: