UN: Ireland one of safest places for old people

Despite a litany of recession-era cutbacks on elderly people, Ireland has still been ranked as one of the safest and most supportive places in the world to grow old gracefully.

A major study by the United Nations Population Fund and charitable group, Help Age International, made the claim after placing this country 12th in a 91-nation older persons league.

The first global index survey on the sector, published on the UN International Day of Older Persons yesterday, gave Ireland a 79.5% pass rate in how it addresses elderly peoples’ needs. And despite highly controversial Government attacks on medical cards, fuel allowances, and old-age pensions, along with repeated nursing home scandals, it ranked Ireland third in the world when it comes to over 50s feeling safe and supported.

According to the interactive report, which can be viewed at irishexaminer.com, Ireland’s approach to elderly health is also high, with the country finishing 14th out of 91 nations in the care available to the over 60s.

However, the document notes we are still coming up short in relation to income and education/employment matters for the group, with Ireland ranking 24th and 32nd in the areas.

“We do recognise what they’re saying. Irish people feel safer in their communities in relation to age. But what we would caution against is using this as a carte blanche to make more cuts on services,” said Active Retirement Ireland spokesman Peter Kavanagh.

“Some of our benefits, for example our free transport scheme, are absolutely fantastic.

“But there are other issues where there are problems, like the number of older people in consistent poverty, which has gone up,” he said.

Among the key indicators used to calculate the findings were life expectancy, mental well-being, poverty rate, pension coverage, social connections, civic freedom, and access to transport services.

The report will be mainly good news for the Fine Gael-Labour coalition as it finalises plans for the budget, which is likely to again affect Ireland’s 800,000 people aged over 60 — a figure predicted to almost double by 2050.

Among the other findings of the major research were that Sweden, Norway, and Germany are the best places in the world to grow old, with Britain ranked 13th and Afghanistan considered the worst.

The research also noted that — despite claims by those in power across the globe — it is not necessarily the case that elderly services depend on how rich a country is, with the US finishing a surprisingly low 8th and countries like Mauritius, Bolivia, and Sri Lanka placing above more affluent areas.

According to the UN report, by 2050 there will be more people over the age of 60 than children under the age of 15.

* www.helpage.org