AGE Action Ireland is expanding it’s Care & Repair scheme in Cork to look after elderly people and their needs. Local TD Deirdre Clune has welcomed the news saying there are many people in Cork who are in need of help around the house but don’t have the confidence or finances to do them.

Over the last number of weeks I have met a number of people while out canvassing who were living alone or no longer in the prime of their health and found it difficult to do odd jobs in their homes. Many people were interested in Age Action Ireland’s Care & Repair Scheme and it’s wonderful news to hear that Age Action Ireland has appointed a Development Officer in Cork to expand and promote the scheme.

Age Action Ireland’s Care & Repair Scheme is the type of community orientated project that exists to give help and support to those people in our communities that often feel forgotten. The new officer will help build upon the strong volunteer base that already exists in Cork.

The Care & Repair Scheme offers a number of services to older people in our community including:
1. The Repair Service uses a pool of volunteers and handypersons to carry out small repairs and to complete minor home tasks for older people. The service is free of charge; the client only pays for the cost of materials used.
2. The Care Service is a home visiting or befriending service using volunteers to provide social contact to older people who are at risk of isolation.
3. The Trades Referral Service is an option whereby a register of reliable and honest tradespersons is maintained. If the required job is beyond the scope of Care and Repair, we will endeavour to supply the names of trustworthy tradespeople from our register.
4. The QuoteCheck Service is a service whereby an experienced volunteer visits the older person’s home, assesses a large job and gives an informed opinion about quotations received from professional tradespersons. QuoteCheck gives people peace of mind and the assurance that the prices being quoted is not a “rip off”.
5. The Daily Contact Service is a daily phone call to the client at a pre-arranged time by a volunteer to make sure that the person is in good spirits and not in need of urgent support.
6. Volunteers are of all ages and both genders. Some offer specialist skills while others are interested in DIY generally. All volunteers are vetted and carry official Care and Repair identification cards. We are particularly interested in attracting retired persons as volunteers.

Age Action Ireland’s Care & Repair Programme in Cork can be contacted at 1890 369369 or via email on ageactioncork@ageaction.ie