Irish Gerontological Society & ALONE Willie Bermingham Lecture to take place virtually on UN International Day for Older Persons
ALONE and the Irish Gerontological Society (IGS) are delighted to present this year’s IGS ALONE Willie Bermingham Lecture, “Changing Horizons in Gerontology – United in Solidarity with Older People”, taking place this Thursday on UN International Day for Older Persons, which celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year. For the first time, the lecture will be presented as an online event from 2pm-3.30pm, in line with current COVID-19 guidelines.
The IGS ALONE Willie Bermingham Lecture is the keynote address at the Annual & Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society. Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director at the World Health Organisation Health Emergencies Programme, will be a key speaker at this year’s event, delivering a lecture on ‘Lessons from COVID 19 and how we can improve care and support for older people in our community’. ALONE and the IGS have assembled an esteemed panel for the lecture, which includes medical experts in older people’s health and advocates for older people’s rights.
Dr. Diarmuid O’Shea, President of the Irish Gerontological Society and consultant physician in geriatric medicine at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, will act as Chairperson of the lecture. Dr O’Shea will give an opening address ahead of the lecture where panellists will be introduced and invited to participate to provide their insights towards the theme of this year’s lecture – ‘United in Solidarity with Older People’.
Dr. Diarmuid O’Shea, President of the Irish Gerontological Society stated, “I am delighted Dr Mike Ryan is addressing the Irish Gerontological Society on United Nations International Day of Older Persons. By honouring us with his contribution we also acknowledge the wonderful work he has done around the world in shaping the response to managing this and other pandemics. We look forward to hearing Dr Ryan’s insights into how, we as a country, can learn lessons from our collective experiences of battling COVID 19 and other pandemics to improve how we deliver support and care to all of us as we age in Ireland.”
Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE said, “The emergence of COVID-19 has caused an upheaval across the globe, with older people among the most affected groups. We are very pleased to have Dr. Ryan on board for this year’s ALONE IGS Willie Bermingham lecture to address the new and challenging issues faced by older people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and discuss the steps that can be taken to support older people in communities across the country. We cannot forget about our older people amid this crisis; on this year’s UN International Day of Older Persons, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, it is important that we acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on our older people, and work with and for them to assist them through this difficult time.”
ALONE is encouraging older people who need advice to call ALONE on 0818 222 024 from 8am-8pm, seven days a week. Contact ALONE if you have concerns about your own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person you know. Further information can be found on www.alone.ie
