A news round-up of what is happening in Northern Ireland and beyond.

News 

Age NI: Winter wrapped up: a guide to keeping well, warm and in touch for older people. Read more... (PDF1.24 MB)

UTV News: Horse meat found in NI cold food storage. Read more...

Belfast Telegraph: Scale of football match-fixing revealed. Read more...

Health

Belfast Telegraph: Sunshine may reduce risk of arthritis in women. Read more...

BBC News: Genetic patch may "stop deafness". Read more...

Tributes

RTÉ News: Annie Kett, Ireland's oldest person dies aged 107. Read more...

Belfast Telegraph: Troggs frontman, Reg Presley, dies aged 71. Read more...

Around the Web

BBC: Why air traffic control still needs the human touch. Read more... 

BBC: Generational theft - have young people never had it so bad? Read more...

Ingenious online CV by job seeker, Philippe Dubost

A news round-up of what is happening in Northern Ireland and beyond.

News 

Belfast Telegraph: £150m shopping centre plan scrapped. Read more... 

Belfast Telegraph: Civil servant who stole £55,000 reels as judge jails her. Read more...

Belfast Telegraph: Secretary of State's in Queen's speech. Read more...

Health

BBC News: Spread of hepatitis C pinpointed. Read more...

BBC News: The science of a long life. Read more...

Technology

BBC News: Online games' boss denies violence link to computer games. Read more...

Around the Web

Ingenious online CV by job seeker, Philippe Dubost

Should people be off on Fridays? Read more...

A news round-up of what is happening in Northern Ireland and beyond.

News 

BBC News: Stem cell "first aid" for rat stroke. Read more...

Belfast Telegraph: Self-taught photographer is architect of his own success. Read more...

Belfast Telegraph: Northern Ireland netball team goes to new heights for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Read more...

BBC News: Liam Neeson to receive freedom of Ballymena award. Read more...

History

BBC News: Puzzle of Battle of Britain hero solved. Read more...

Science and Environment

BBC News: The solace of quantum - do weird physics effects abound in nature? Read more...

BBC News: Dolphin in distress asks for help. Read more...

Technology

Yahoo News: How to pick the best tablet for you. Read more...

BBC News: The rise of over-familiar websites. Read more...

BBC News: Skype privacy called into question. Read more...

‘So glad we have a Commissioner who will fight for older people’s rights in Northern Ireland’

This is just one of the many positive comments made about the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Claire Keatinge over the last three months during her extensive round of meetings with older people across Northern Ireland.

The Commissioner met more than 800 older people and their representatives to share and test their views on her draft themes and priorities for action. More than half of the 20 events were supported by Age NI and their Older People’s Networks with many attendees representing older people’s organisations from across Northern Ireland.

The Commissioner received strong feedback from the attendees of the autumn events and there was unanimous support for her to take forward the issues identified. 

The Commissioner’s draft priorities (in brief)

• To support and challenge the Government’s new active ageing strategy
• To review the law on elder abuse and adult social care
• To review clearance rates for crime against older people
• To consider the measures being taken to reduce pensioner poverty (including fuel poverty)
• To review the complaints arrangements in public bodies and the standards set for delivery and inspection in nursing, residential and domiciliary settings
• To establish the experience of older people using accident and emergency services
• To find out why NI has the lowest percentage of older carers in receipt of carers assessments

What did older people say about the Commissioner’s priorities?

‘I hope Claire Keatinge will be able to fix many of the issues discussed today.’

‘Excellent list of priorities. Glad to see the tough issues such as elder abuse being tackled.’

‘Thank you Claire for coming to address us today. You put life into me.’

So what’s next for the Commissioner’s draft themes and priorities?

The Commissioner will develop a draft corporate plan taking account of the feedback she has received at all these events and public consultation on the draft corporate plan is expected to take place in the Spring. As work progresses, the Commissioner will have a better understanding of the real experience of older people across a range of issues that are important to older people. The Commissioner will use the unique powers provided to her by legislation appropriately. She will seek to strengthen the efforts of other organisations and to make a contribution to positive change so that today’s older people will be recognised and valued and the rest of us can look forward to ageing with hope, confidence and certainty.

• This article featured in Age NI Partnership News and was reproduced with the permission of the office of the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland.