Galway Advertiser 1992/1992_05_14/GA_14051992_E1_018.pdf 

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M A R Y

O ' C O N N O R

National Active Age Week continues until May 17th and aims to promote positive at titudes to ageing. It is part of the ongoing campaign to challenge negative stereotypes of ageing and older people.

TIME OF OUR LIVES
Mention the elderly and many people automatically think of the infirm hobbling about on walking sticks, lonely figures in head scarves hugging endless cups of coffee in deserted cafes, and weary old men, alone with their memories, nostalgic for the pass ing of old ways.
But we tend to forget that myself between the ages of 25 most elderly people remain and 30!" healthy, energetic and active Conversely, someone has long after they have reached said, "Youth is not a time of their 65th birthdays. life, but a state of mind." We Many work full-time, form are indeed as old as we feel. new relationships andfacethe winter of their lives with great FIT AND WELL verve. New statistics reveal 80 per On retirement, some decide cent of over 65's are fit, well to change direction complete and caring perfectly well for ly. They take up a new career, themselves. move to a different country Only 5 per cent of elderly and begin a new phase in their people are in nursing homes lives. and less than 18 per cent are The Novelist E.M. Forster cared for by relatives. once pointed out that growing Life expectancy is increas old and old age are two quite ing all the time, even more so different things. for women. "Growing old is an emotion In general, men can expect which comes over us at almost to live 77 years and women to any age," he said. "I had it 81 years. One of the main issues aris ing from studies on the elder ly in the West, is the difficul ty they find in becoming and remaining integrated into the mainstream of life in their local communities. Many feel marginal, believ ing they are not making an im portant contribution to life. Some see retirement as the end, the close of their lives. But this shouldn't be a time for merely sitting in a corner and letting the world pass by. It is an extension of human ex perience into another sphere and just as our working lives are what we make of them, so retirement can be either a time of happiness or misery. Catherine Rose, Co ordinator of "Age and Oppor tunity" wants people to stop stereotyping active grand parents and realise they can still make an important con tribution to society. Age and Opportunity is a national organisation which was set up in 1988 to change attitudes to ageing. Ireland is the only E.C. country which has a national programme to promote positive attitudes to ageing. "Out attitude to the elderly has to be challenged," says Ms. Rose. "Too many regard them as a burden." She feels many elderly do not participate as fully as they should in their local com munity. Many believe they have no role to play or feel unwanted.

Paddy

McGrath 'Young

of Whitehall At Heart'

Close, club in

a member Salthill

of

the

marese can

tempi y o u
^ l a r e s e , it is the french j f e a d y - t o - w e a r for c h i l d r e n . w h i c h is g o i n g t o s e d u c e all the m o t h e r s ! Bright c o l o u r s , a n e w s t y l e full of happiness, M a r e s e c a n tempt y o u into h a v i n g c h i l d r e n !

NEW STATISTICS But the active elderly can make a significant contribu tion to life by getting involv ed in community develop ment, adult education, and providing support and help to marginalised groups. They now have time to develop new interests, study, travel and indulge their favourite pastimes. Their wealth of experience is invaluable. A veteran mis sionary from Africa once said he would like to change the whole approach to people volunteering for the Third World. Older people would make excellent volunteers, he felt because of their experience and wisdom. A group of retired Galway people recently decided to pool their skills and set up a Jobs Agency in Salthill. "Work-Net" is the brain child of local businessman

REVEAL

80%

OF

Frank O' Sullivan. It aims to match the skills of Galway's jobless with local job needs. A voluntary service, the centre is staffed by partially or fully retired locals. It is important that we develop and support a social and economic environment in which older people can active ly participate, says Paula Naughton, Administrator, Galway Social Services Centre. About 50 older people organise Meals on Wheels and help out at the Centre. Elderly people should be encouraged to care for themselves, to get involved in the local community, to develop interests, according to Ms. Naughton. "A lot of the elderly like people to be there for them, to know a support network ex ists if they need it. "Some well meaning people

65 's ARE try to nelp too much. But older people like to maintain their independence." Retirement planning is essential, she feels. Many lose their sense of purpose and self worth when they give up their jobs. But we only need to look through the pages of history to realise how older people have made their mark in the world. Charlie Chaplin was going

OUR

FIT

AND

WELL

strong in his 90's and Pablo Picasso was as prolific as ever long after he had passed 85. Film Director, Alfred Hit chcock was still coming up with macabre films at 80 Mother Teresa of Calcutta at 82 is still very much a global charity worker and on our own doorstep, Mayor of Galway, Michael Leahy is retired but no less hail and hearty.

MORGSe

*********
Cms St. galway. Tel: (091) 61004 0 - 1 4 Years

Francisco Goya, the Spanish painter, was one of the determined and courageous people who mastered some of the disabilities of growing old. He had such bad eyesight in his old age that others had to sharpen his pencils for him. Despite this, he produced some marvellous drawings. One of his last pictures shows an old, bearded man bent over and supporting himself on two sticks. The title given to it by Goya was "Aun Aprendo" and it clearly shows his philosophy of life. It reads, " I am still learning!" A great motto for young and old.

FIT

FOR

ANYTHING: out with

Mayor the

Michael Sawdoctors

Leahy

lining