Home - Mayo Social

Aging society & Economy

Collaboration & Innovation

Addressing the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society

Challenges & Opportunities

Place based outcome focused

Social need and economic opportunities are closely related

Mayo Social is an initiative supported by Mayo County Council, the HSE, Sage Advocacy, Castlebar Social Services, St Brendan’s Mulranny, Mayo Abbey, St Vincent de Paul and others to address the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society.

It sees social need and economic opportunities as closely related and it seeks opportunities to develop new models of services to the public based on a ‘wrap around’ rather then ‘send around’ approach.

The Big H

Why we need to focus on housing as a core part of the continuum of support and care for people as they grow older

This seminar was organised by Mayo Social an inter-agency initiative supported by Mayo County Council, the HSE, Sage Advocacy, Castlebar Social Services, St Brendan’s Mulranny and others to address the challenges and opportunities of an ageing society. The event, in Lough Lannagh Centre was kindly supported by Mayo Co. Council . Key issues from the seminar were recorded by Dr Michael Browne, Research Adviser to Sage Advocacy, and are detailed in this report which will be used to inform the work of Mayo Social.

The main focus of the seminar was on the role of housing as an essential component in meeting the needs of older people who require support and in reducing the need for nursing home care.

Mayo Social Seminar Minister Calleary

 Rationale for place based & outcomes focused approach to innovation.  

Social connections are the largest and most significant direct determinants of personal well-being among older people.
The purpose of services for older people is to improve well-being and these services are more likely to be effective if aligned with the known determinants of well-being.
Services for older people, as currently funded by the HSE … may not adequately reflect all, or even the most important, risk and protective factors affecting personal well-being…………. This, in turn, invites reflection on the question of whether the right services are being commissioned in all cases, and whether there is need to create a more innovative stream of commissioning.
Need to focus on areas that have sufficient critical mass as to be able to mobilise resources for change through a judicious mix of local and regional ‘bottom up’ sentiment and activism with national and EU ‘top down’ policy and planning.
A social innovation project in Co. Mayo as a demonstrator and catalyst for similar projects to be developed around the country which it is envisaged will be supported by a National Social Innovation Fund.
Balanced spectrum of provision including social businesses which are capable of adding value and drawing in a wide range of community assets in a way that neither the private or public sectors can.

Red C Poll

Public wants housing plans to include supports for older people to live in their own homes

Nine out ten adults would not choose to live in a nursing home

People want State to be more assertive in housing – including CPOs for vacant properties

There is an urgent need to address the housing needs of older people through the development of ‘wrap around’ rather than ‘send around’ services – enabling older people to live in their own homes for as long as possible.