‘Health services must do more to meet needs of older people’ 

One of those commenting on The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing report — HSE national clinical lead on stroke Ronan Collins — said healthcare in Ireland must catch up with our ageing population. Stock picture

Health services are facing challenges in meeting the needs of older people, but can no longer delay finding solutions, doctors and advocates have said.

The call for action follows a stark warning in the latest report from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda), published on Tuesday, which showed that significant numbers of older people are living with certain diseases either without treatment or without the right treatment. These include hypertension and high cholesterol which can lead to stroke or heart disease as well as an increase in falls.