Celebrate old age

THERE are some 540,000 people aged 65 or more in Ireland — 12% of the country’s population. 

Demographers tell us this figure will rise to 1.4m, or 22% of the population, in a quarter of a century. Apart at all from the economic implications — housing, health, social supports and pensions primarily — this great change will bring enormous cultural challenges.

Maybe we do not value older people or their hard-won experience as we might, or maybe we don’t do enough to ensure that old age does not exclude people from making a valuable contribution to society. Too often it seems retirement and age conspire to turn active, vibrant, and interesting people into marginalised, almost invisible, figures. It is ironic too that in a society that imagines itself welcoming and friendly that so many older people are so very lonely.