Charity helping seniors go hi-tech

AGE Action Ireland is helping local senior citizens to learn new technologies as part of the charity’s new ‘Getting Started’ programme.

The initiative looks to teach around 3,500 elderly people every year how to use computers, smartphones, iPads and emerging technologies.

The organisation has 100 volunteers who go into housing complexes to provide one-on-one training to elderly people who can’t make it to the libraries and community centres where classes  are normally run.

One of those volunteers is Northsider Claire Ann Ferry, from the Navan Road area, who joined Age Action after being made redundant from a sales job.

She’s tutored classes in Mellowes Court and Merville Court,  Finglas, and more recently in St Peter’s Court in Phibsborough.

Claire Ann  told Northside People she loves helping the elderly adapt to modern technologies and finds their stories uplifting.

“I felt that a lot of old people were feeling excluded because everything was moving online,” she said.

“Like with banking online, entering competitions and then just connecting with grandchildren who were away. They just said that they’d have to wait for somebody to come over, or a relative or a friend, to get them online and show them how to connect with their families. 

“But you hear great stories from them. There was one guy who was in Blackhorse Avenue and he was one of the first guys to run a triathlon here in Ireland so it’s amazing the information you get from people.

“There was another woman who managed to change how the Geriatric unit operated in St James’ hospital. I’m talking about 40 years ago and she was talking about how they were treated badly, so she met up with a TD and managed to get the situation changed in the hospital.”

Claire Ann is adamant that a lot of the elderly people she works with have fascinating stories to tell but they sometimes struggle to communicate their tales with family and friends in an increasingly digital world.

Age Action offers a range of services including Care and Repair, computer training and information, and claims that more than 27,000 Irish people have benefited from the Getting Started programme.

The charity has centres all over Dublin. For a full list of locations visit www.ageaction.ie or call 01-4756989.

REPORT: Jack O’Toole