As part of the RCPI Public Meeting Series - Promoting a Healthy Nation, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) is pleased to announce a public meeting ‘Ageing Well – Ageing Positively’ which takes place on Tuesday, 21 April 2009 at 6:30pm at RCPI, No.6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Getting Older, Getting Better - Micheal O’Muircheartaigh, Sports Broadcaster. Micheal will give a personal account of his experience of ageing. He will highlight the benefits of growing older and respond to some of the topics raised by other speakers during their presentations.

Our Ageing Population – Dr Diarmuid O’Shea, Consultant in Geriatric Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin; RCPI Vice President for Education and Professional Development. Diarmuid will outline the demographic changes taking place in Ireland and will highlight the medical and societal challenges which arise from these changes. He will discuss some of the medical conditions which are connected with the ageing process. 

Improving Brain Health – Prof Brian Lawlor, Professor of Old Age, Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Psychiatrist at St. James's Hospital, Dublin. Brian will discuss ways of stimulating your brain to promote better mental health as we age. He will provide information and feedback about cognitive and related functions and discuss the detection, diagnosis and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s and other disorders of the brain.

Towards Empowerment – Robin Webster, Chief Executive of Age Action Ireland. Robin will outline the different ways in which we experience vulnerability (financially, within family relationships, social isolation and elder abuse). He will demonstrate what supports are available and how we can bring older people from vulnerability to empowerment.