Most people over 60 in Ireland enjoy life to its fullest. They live independent and healthy lives and are cared for by their families, relatives or very close friends.

For those who live alone life can be quite different.

Sometimes an older person’s independence can be threatened without warning and before they have made provision for their new circumstances. They may be affected by the death of a loved one or their children leaving home, or a health set-back such as a fall or progressive illness. Sometimes older people can find themselves among members of a dwindling generation, left alone in a rebuilt neighbourhood, no longer knowing who lives beside them.