Evaluating the impact of membership of Active Retirement Ireland on the lives of older people

Public discourse in relation to older people has often tended to construct them as “a burden” on the government and public policy has focussed narrowly on the costs of health-care, long-stay care and pensions. This is also evidenced by the fact that most of the resources devoted to healthy ageing in the community are spent on medical services provided by a range of professionals while a relatively small proportion is devoted to providing social, physical, cultural and educational programmes designed to promote and preserve health. This ignores the fact that it is increasingly recognised at international policy level that healthy ageing requires a broad holistic approach to health production; this requires not only investment in medical care, but also investment in health-promoting behaviours in the community which can help to prevent the onset of ill-health and to delay mortality. Older people are now living longer and tend to be healthier than were previous generations of older people. It is increasingly recognised that people need to have access to meaningful forms of engagement in society at a time when they may be retiring from employment and/or be less engaged with family. Active Retirement Ireland (ARI) aims to foster independence, solidarity and support among older people in Ireland. It is a national umbrella body for 550 affiliated Active Retirement Associations (ARAs) with an estimated membership of over 23,000 men and women, throughout Ireland. ARI (formerly known as FARA) has been in existence for 27 years. The impact of being a member of an ARA has not yet been comprehensively assessed. This year (2012), the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between the Generations, is an appropriate time for such an evaluation. The main questions posed by this research are to establish: 1. What constitutes healthy ageing and a good quality of life for older people? 2. What are the processes through which quality of life for older people is enhanced? 3. Does involvement in a social organisation such as ARI promote a healthier lifestyle and/or lead to enhanced quality of life in older ARA members? 4. What are the next steps for ARI in pursuing the aim of enhancing quality of life for older people in Ireland? In addressing these questions, the research also considers whether ARI succeeds in being an organisation that people are proud to be part of - locally, regionally and nationally; whether it is a recognised voice for older people on issues that concern them; and whether it is working towards becoming a self-sustaining organisation.