On Thursday 2nd May Dr Una Lynch will share work on ageing and dignity being carried out by the Netwell Centre in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT).
Dignity is at the heart of what it means to be human. By virtue of being human we are all endowed with the right to be treated with dignity. We also have a duty to treat all fellow human beings with dignity, even when they are dead.
Dr Lynch said “dignity is a word that touches us all deeply. We seem to have an innate sense of its meaning and know when we have been treated with dignity or when a person’s dignity has been violated.”
Unfortunately some older people, perhaps as a result of deterioration in health, change in living circumstances or because of society’s ageist attitudes, are particularly vulnerable to being treated in ways that do not respect their dignity. Rodd Bond director of the Netwell Centre explains how he and is colleagues are working to change this “All of our work in Netwell is directed at making life for older people as good as possible and enabling people to age with dignity is at the core.” Netwell has been leading the way for many years in developments with smart housing and supportive environments for older people. Rodd elaborated “here in Dundalk we have been leading the way in creating environments that respect the rights of older people to be full participants in our community. We have many innovative schemes such as the Great Northern Housing scheme, the Good Morning Louth telephone service and the Men’s Sheds and are keen to build on this.”
Creating supportive environments requires commitment and support from different organisations and The Netwell centre works closely with Louth County Council, the HSE, Gardai and many other agencies. Mary Deery age friendly manager with Louth County Council explains “We are working hard to make County Louth the best county in Ireland. This is only possible because all of the agencies are working together with a dynamic group of older people who support us through the forum and alliance. We are delighted with the achievements that have been made and determined to keep going. Dignity and equality for older people is central to our goal.”
At the seminar on Thursday Dr Lynch will share insights into how Netwell is using technology to support dignity of older people. If you would like to learn more or interested in sharing your experience of ‘dignity’ join Dr Lynch and the team on May 2nd at 1:15pm in the Netwell Centre, in the PJ Carroll Building, DKIT.
The seminar is free of charge – tea, coffee and biscuits will be available from 1pm. People attending the seminars can avail of free parking courtesy of the The Crowne Plaza hotel.
For further information or to register for any of the events please contact Joanne Finnegan
Email joanne.finnegan@netwellcentre.org Telephone: 042 937 0497 (00 353 42 937 0497 from NI)
