Enabling older people to attain their basic rights

Posted on March 03, 2015

[smPullExtract inputText=%3Cp%3EArticles%2011%20and%2012%20of%20the%20International%20Covenant%20on%20Economic%2C%20Social%20and%20Cultural%20Rights%20recognise%20the%20rights%20to%20an%20adequate%20standard%20of%20living%20and%20to%20health%20respectively.%20At%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.ageaction.ie/%22%3EAge%20Action%3C/a%3E%2C%20we%20hear%20on%20a%20daily%20basis%20that%20for%20many%20older%20people%2C%20austerity%20has%20meant%20these%20rights%20are%20moving%20further%20and%20further%20out%20of%20reach.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFirstly%2C%20let%E2%80%99s%20look%20at%20Article%2011.%20This%20focuses%20not%20only%20on%20an%20adequate%20standard%20of%20living%2C%20but%20also%20on%20the%20continuous%20improvement%20of%20living%20conditions.%20The%20last%20increase%20to%20the%20State%20Pension%20was%20in%20January%202009.%20While%20the%20Government%20has%20maintained%20this%20rate%20in%20the%20intervening%20time%2C%20the%20erosion%20of%20secondary%20income%20supports%2C%20price%20inflation%20and%20the%20introduction%20of%20new%20taxes%20and%20charges%20on%20property%20and%20water%20have%20decimated%20the%20value%20of%20the%20State%20Pension%20for%20older%20people.%20Our%20booklet%20on%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.ageaction.ie/sites/default/files/pdf/15846-Age%2520Action%2520Older%2520People%2527s%2520Experience%252020%2520Page%2520Brochure%2520A5%2520Web.pdf%22%3EGrowing%20Older%20in%20Ireland%3C/a%3E%2C%20published%20as%20part%20of%20the%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.un.org/en/events/povertyday/%22%3EUnited%20Nation%20International%20Day%20for%20the%20Eradication%20of%20Poverty%3C/a%3E%20last%20year%20highlighted%20that%20the%20abolition%20of%20the%20telephone%20allowance%20and%20cuts%20in%20the%20electricity%20and%20fuel%20allowance%20have%20meant%20that%20between%20January%202009%20and%20January%202014%2C%20the%20pension%E2%80%99s%20value%20fell%20by%20%E2%82%AC9.87%20per%20week.%20For%20those%20who%20must%20pay%20the%20property%20tax%2C%20an%20annual%20sum%20of%20%E2%82%AC250%20can%20mean%20another%20%E2%82%AC4.80%20is%20taken%20from%20an%20older%20person%E2%80%99s%20small%20fixed%20income%20each%20week.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20retention%20of%20the%20weekly%20rate%20of%20the%20state%20pension%20has%20led%20many%20political%20and%20media%20commentators%20to%20comment%20that%20older%20people%20have%20remained%20untouched%20by%20austerity.%20However%2C%20we%20increasingly%20hear%20that%20older%20people%20are%20making%20choices%20between%20heating%20their%20homes%20and%20purchasing%20food%20or%20medicine.%20For%20some%20this%20means%20dipping%20into%20savings%20held%20for%20a%20rainy%20day%20or%20even%20for%20their%20funeral.%20The%20impact%20on%20older%20people%20is%20not%20just%20a%20depletion%20of%20savings%20but%20has%20consequences%20for%20their%20mental%20health%20and%20wellbeing%20as%20well.%20Older%20people%20we%20speak%20with%20talk%20about%20the%20fear%20of%20getting%20sick%2C%20the%20terror%20of%20what%20will%20%E2%80%98come%20through%20the%20letterbox%20next%E2%80%99%20and%20that%20the%20imposition%20of%20cutbacks%20and%20new%20charges%20is%20effectively%20%E2%80%98euthanasia%20by%20stealth%E2%80%99.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0Secondly%2C%20Article%2012%20seeks%20to%20ensure%20that%20everyone%20has%20the%20right%20to%20enjoy%20the%20highest%20attainable%20standard%20of%20physical%20and%20mental%20health.%20As%20we%20grow%20older%2C%20access%20to%20adequate%20health%20care%20services%20is%20increasingly%20important%20in%20realizing%20this%20right.%20But%20the%20recession%20has%20made%20this%20more%20and%20more%20difficult%20for%20many%20older%20people.%20Successive%20budgets%20have%20focused%20on%20achieving%20savings%20through%20the%20reduction%20of%20funding%20to%20services%20at%20primary%20care%20level.%20Cuts%20that%20have%20had%20a%20particular%20impact%20for%20older%20people%20have%20included%3A%3C/p%3E%3Cul%3E%3Cli%3EIncreasing%20the%20threshold%20for%20the%20Over-70%E2%80%99s%20medical%20card.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3EReducing%20the%20number%20of%20health%20and%20social%20care%20professionals%20providing%20services%20to%20older%20people.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3EIncreasing%20prescription%20charges%20for%20medical%20card%20holders.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3ENo%20increase%20in%20home%20help%20hours%20or%20home%20care%20packages%20to%20meet%20the%20increase%20in%20the%20older%20population%2C%20which%20in%20real%20terms%20represents%20a%20cut%20in%20provision.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3EReducing%20the%20number%20of%20long%20term%20care%20beds%20funded%20under%20Fair%20Deal.%3C/li%3E%3Cli%3EAdditional%20fees%20introduced%20for%20nursing%20home%20residents.%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E%3Cp%3EAside%20from%20these%20cuts%20there%20are%20also%20many%20hidden%20health%20situations%20experienced%20by%20older%20people%20that%20are%20not%20captured%20in%20published%20statistics.%20For%20instance%2C%20we%20do%20not%20know%20how%20many%20older%20people%20must%20now%20find%20the%20money%20to%20pay%20for%20a%20taxi%20fare%20to%20the%20hospital%20due%20to%20cuts%20in%20free%20transport%20for%20medical%20appointments.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0It%20is%20evident%20from%20Age%20Action%E2%80%99s%20work%20with%20and%20on%20behalf%20of%20older%20people%20that%20the%20Government%20is%20not%20meeting%20its%20obligations%20in%20terms%20of%20these%20two%20Articles.%20We%20call%20on%20the%20Government%20to%20live%20up%20to%20its%20duties%20under%20ICESCR%20in%20order%20to%20ensure%20that%20Ireland%20is%20the%20best%20country%20in%20which%20to%20grow%20old.%3C/p%3E%3Cul%3E%3Cli%3E%C2%A0Naomi%20Feely%20is%20Senior%20Policy%20Officer%20at%20%3Ca%20style%3D%22line-height%3A%201.5em%3B%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.ageaction.ie/%22%3EAge%20Action%3C/a%3E%2C%20a%20charity%20that%20promotes%20positive%20ageing%20and%20better%20policies%20and%20services%20for%20older%20people.%20Working%20with%20and%20on%20behalf%20of%20older%20people%2C%20we%20aim%20to%20make%20Ireland%20the%20best%20place%20in%20the%20world%20in%20which%20to%20grow%20older.%3C/li%3E%3C/ul%3E]

Posted in: ageaction •