Age Friendly Homes programme now in Kildare

HEALTHY Age Friendly Homes (HAFH), a first-of-its-kind programme to enable older adults in Kildare to continue living independently, has been launched nationwide today. 

This joint Health and Local Government programme will assist up to 10,500 older adults each year through ‘timely interventions’. It’s estimated that the programme will result in an annual saving of €41.5 million to the State through the prevention of hospitalisation and early or unnecessary admission to long-term residential care.

The programme’s key partners include the Department of Health, the HSE, Age Friendly Ireland, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Following a two-year pilot across nine sites, the programme is now expanding to all 31 local authorities. Local Healthy Age Friendly Homes Coordinators will manage support packages – across housing, health, technology, finance, energy efficiency and social/community – for each person referred.

Home-based assessments will identify a diverse range of supports to enable the older person to continue living independently – whether in their own home or in more suitable housing. These supports could include housing adaptations, rightsizing to a more appropriate home, and assistive technology such as age-friendly tablets. It will also provide connections to services such as occupational therapists, social and community groups like Meals on Wheels and transportation to hospital appointments. Applications can be made online at agefriendlyireland.ie.