Older people are perhaps the only discriminated-against group that almost everyone eventually belongs to, Sister Stanislaus Kennedy said yesterday.
She was launching a new body in Dublin which aims to ensure that health boards, government departments and voluntary bodies work together to deliver services for older people efficiently.
The Northwest Inner City Council for Services to Older People is chaired by Ms Mary McGuire, who manages services for older people for the Northern Area Health Board. It includes representatives of voluntary and community organisations.
"Simply providing a pension of €120 or even €200 a week is of little use to older people, who need practical community support services such as adequate home-help service, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, transport, appropriate housing and access to acute hospital care," Sister Stanislaus said.
Instances of discrimination against older people listed by Sister Stanislaus include the exclusion of people over 65 from protection from harassment under the Employment Equality Act and of people over 66 from protection under unfair dismissals legislation.
In addition, "the most basic community care services for older people are piecemeal and ad hoc, leaving them in very insecure, vulnerable and precarious positions".
The purpose of the new council is to ensure that health, social, cultural and psychological services for older people in the Stoneybatter and Markets area of Dublin are delivered effectively and efficiently. Greater public service investment is not always what is needed to improve services, but a "more effective and efficient use of existing resources", the council said in a statement.