Age Concern Northern Ireland has launched its first Public Policy Review. The Review offers an analysis of the main issues impacting on the lives of older people in Northern Ireland and gives a broad overview of public policy on ageing.

By 2020 one in four Europeans will be aged sixty years or over. Between 2000 and 2040 the proportion of people over 60 years in Northern Ireland will double. Older people are an increasingly diverse group within an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural Northern Ireland.

The review considers the changing population structures in which public services will be delivered and develops a set of key indicators around which progress will be assessed each year.

The document is a reference point for measuring improvements in the quality of life for an increasing section of our community. It will challenge policy makers to listen to what older people have to say as they design public policy for the twenty-first century.

Age Concern Northern Ireland’s Policy Review provides the key issues and concerns faced by older people. It locates them within the current public policy context and provides recommendations for change. This review will be useful to you if you:

• Wish to improve public policy for older people.
• Provide services to older people.
• Work with older people.
• Work on issues of equality and social justice.