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VETERAN BROADCASTER VINCENT Browne has said that the lack of concern the government shows elderly people living alone is “really awful”.
In Ireland, one-third of people over the age of 65 live alone, rising to 60% for those over the age of 80. A striking one in 10 older people suffer from chronic loneliness.
“The statistics are really shocking. About 60,000 old people have hardly any visits from friends or family, which is really awful,” Browne told TheJournal.ie.
Browne made his comments at the launch of Alone’s Christmas campaign – ‘No one should be alone this Christmas’ – which is asking people to support the charity’s work by volunteering and donating.
Alone is a charity that supports older people to age at home. It works with those who have issues with loneliness, social isolation, lack of services, poor health, poverty and homelessness. It offers a befriending service, where older people living alone are paired up with a volunteer who provides regular home visits.
Browne criticised the government and the cuts made over recent years to elderly services for the lack of support available to those alone.
“There are lots of problems across the whole area of welfare that the government is not providing adequate resources to, old people is one of them,” Browne said.
This is because of the cuts that were made by Labour in government. Again, around 60,000 old people have real problems with heating. A lot of people die of hypothermia.
To think of the misery of them living alone in terribly cold houses and apartments must be awful for them.
Browne told TheJournal.ie that “there seems to be no concern” at a government level about the lack of services available for elderly people in Ireland.
Alone at Christmas
Christmas is a particularly important time for Alone, as loneliness is heightened for those living alone during the holidays.
The charity runs a number of activities throughout the Christmas period, including a dinner dance for older people and volunteers, the delivery of hundreds of Christmas hampers to older people in need and a Christmas Day dinner delivery for a number of older people.
Sean Moynihan, CEO of Alone said: “We want older people to know that they have a right to be supported, to receive the support they need and to live in a place of their own choosing.
We will all be old one day and deserve to have supports and services in place to help us age well at home.
For those who have concerns about their own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person in their community, Alone can be contacted on 01 679 1032.
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The only time the kids show concern is when the fair deal starts eating into their inheritance. My advice spend and enjoy every penny , sell the house, invest it in a pension, your kids wont starve.
@Dáithí Ó Raghallaigh: there are many elderly people in nursing homes who never get a visit from their grown-up children. I found that shocking and incomprehensible.
@David Murphey: karma in some cases perhaps?
Fair play to Vincent being a voice for the elderly at this time of the year, they couldn’t have a better champion for the cause, we all need to do more when it comes to the respect and reverence of our elderly, we really could learn from other cultures in this regard!….
A great way to help at Christmas is by signing up for your local meals on wheels to help deliver Meals to elderly and vulnerable people for Christmas. I’ve been doing it for years, it’s heartbreaking but really rewarding,it really makes their day. I think the worst was about five years ago when I delivered to a 95-year-old lady, and her 90-year-old brother had literally just passed away in the house. I’m not sure about the rest of the country but in my home town it’s run through the local Lions Club
Many younger people will also spend Christmas entirely alone. Being lonely or socially isolated in life can occur as a result of many different reasons and should not be associated solely with the elderly or destitute.
@Mark Reville: Good point Mark.
@Mark Reville: A matching service could work and did work in the UK. Older People without family with younger people without family also. Older People could meet up and share cooking, company etc. Tender for the older person instead of Tinder?
Why do these issues only pop up as we approach christmas ,it should be top of the agenda all year round until we implement some kind of plan to deal with this terrible plight on our senior citizens .we will all be old some day, god willing, and with our rapidly ageing population we need to deal with it NOW
@Anthony Gallagher: because they’re asked to? Alone.ie is there all year round. Volunteer NOW”to deal with it NOW if you haven’t already. Or will you not because ‘that’s “the governments” problem’ ?
We have gone the American way having lived there in the 90′s. We see the elderly and people who cannot have a lively conversation with us as “GONE PASSED THEIR SELL BY DATE.”.
Not everything is the government’s fault.
No visit from family and friends…… think about that before descending into another bout of recreational anger.
@Paul Cuddihy: Quite. Family could have moved away and friends could be dead.
As some simpleton missed the point in my previous post, i’ll explain it… Irish society’ has been replaced by Irish ‘economy’. If you belong to a demographic that doesn’t, or cant, contribute to that (mainly through paying tax) – the elderly, ill, disabled, mentally ill – then you hold no value and will be forgotten about.
Eyepopper, being facetious is a two way street!
Could TV3 arrange for a once-off Christmas special of Tonight with VB, for old times sake?
Damien English, Shane Ross and a few of the usual Dail suspects might make themselves available for a bit of fun including a grilling from the maestro on the year that was in Irish Politics. Maybe some music from last year’s Apollo House crew, plus Christy Moore / Paul Brady, if available.
Hiring out a decent venue capable of accommodating hundreds, plus charging a small entrance fee and giving proceeds to Alone would make the whole exercise worthwhile.
Don’t worry Vincent we will still keep ya company!
@Shane Cormican: Vincent Kompany.
Willie Birmingham of Alone did fantastic work for old and the socially isolated.
He did not live into trope old age so as personally to enjoy the benefits of the wonderful philanthropic work that he did.
Loneliness is a condition of our times, sadly. And for many older people it is very sad. To a point, I agree that some of these older people should be very well cared for. But there are some who treated their children very badly, cruelly and without any love, ever. So I won’t be judging anyone for not visiting an older relative because I don’t know the background or circumstances.
@Alex Bailey: Yes. People can alienate their children. Blame can lie on any side.
@Alex Bailey: i totally agree. Its not always as it seems – poor old soul living alone at Christmas. He could have been a horrible shit who gave his family an awful life! Reap what you sow i say!
@Alex Bailey: I don’t judge either. It’s easy enough for retired people to talk when they have so much free time. It’s not possible to visit on the level that some elderly neighbours expect. I know many couples who work flat out and are more stressed-out than ever before.
Sadly loneliness may be the least of the problems endured by older people in Irish society.
Yes siree Bob……………ship you off to a home for the bewildered and put a snooker table in your bedroom…..thats the way of things today!
Eyepopper. We could have started with your parents. Big mistake. Tell them that.
This country is going to the dogs, socially, mentally, economically and politically? They are all connected?
Lorcán Ó Broin and Alan, thank you. Alan, there are many female older people who put their families through torture too. They reap what they sow.
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