New Initiative Aims to Make Dalkey More Age Friendly and Dementia Inclusive

​New Initiative Aims to Make Dalkey More Age Friendly and Dementia Inclusive
 
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is pleased to partner with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) through its Friends of ASI programme, and the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber, on a new initiative to help make Dalkey a more age-friendly and dementia-inclusive town.
 
The initiative was officially launched at Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre, bringing together local residents, businesses, community organisations and service providers committed to making Dalkey a more age-friendly and dementia-inclusive town. The programme aims to raise awareness and understanding of dementia while encouraging local people, businesses and services to play an active role in creating a welcoming and supportive environment. Through training, education and community engagement, it will help address some of the challenges facing older people and people living with dementia in Dalkey.
 
This collaborative initiative is led by the Age Friendly Programme in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Friends of ASI and the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber, all of whom share a vision of making Dalkey a place where older people can continue to live independently, participate fully in community life, and remain connected, supported and valued.
 
Cllr Barry Saul, Cathaoirleach of dlr County Council said: 
 
"As Cathaoirleach of dlr County Council, I am delighted to see Dalkey taking this positive step towards becoming both a dementia inclusive and an Age-Friendly Town. This partnership with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland reflects our shared commitment to creating welcoming, supportive and inclusive communities where people can continue to live independently and remain connected to local life. By fostering greater understanding and support for people living with dementia, this initiative will help enhance wellbeing, strengthen community ties and ensure that Dalkey is a place where everyone can age with dignity and confidence."
 
Frank Curran, Chief Executive of dlr County Council and dlr Age Friendly Alliance Chair said: 
 
"As Chief Executive of dlr County Council and Chair of the dlr Age Friendly Alliance, it gives me great pleasure to support this important collaboration with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland to make Dalkey both a dementia inclusive and an Age Friendly Town.  We look forward to working closely with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland to support people to remain in their own homes and communities for longer. This is a vital aspect of maintaining social connections, independence and quality of life. The long-term impact of this initiative will be significant, supporting ageing in place, enhancing wellbeing and promoting social inclusion and dlr County Council is proud to be part of it."
 
Head of Operations and Community Engagement at The ASI, Siobhan O’Connor said: 
 
"I’m delighted to bring our Friends of ASI dementia inclusive initiative to Dalkey in Dublin. Across Ireland, we have seen communities embrace the opportunity to learn more about dementia and take meaningful steps to support people living with the condition and their families. By working together, we can build communities where everyone feels valued, connected and included, and I have no doubt that Dalkey will embrace that opportunity." 
 
Colette O'Sullivan CEO of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Chamber said: 
 
"We are really proud of our partnership with Friends of ASI and the progress we have made in creating a dementia-inclusive Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Seeing Dalkey become part of this initiative marks another important achievement. Local communities play a crucial role in helping people with dementia to feel understood and supported, and to enable them to live as well as possible.”
 
Friends of ASI is a dementia-inclusive programme. It includes training, awareness, education, and services and aims to encourage people, businesses and services to create a more nurturing and accepting environment for people living with dementia and their families in their community. People living with dementia are among the most marginalised in our society and can often face social exclusion and stigma. 
 
This initiative is working alongside the HSE’s Dementia: Understand Together campaign. Dementia: Understand Together, a national partnership between The ASI, HSE, Age Friendly Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Dementia Services Information and Development Centre and Healthy Ireland, encourages community members and people living with dementia to make their communities more dementia-inclusive.