Older residents in community take a stand on local issues

Older residents from the Omagh district voiced their frustrations over feeling overlooked by local authorities during an event in Enniskillen on Monday.

The meeting was organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) and South West Age Partnership (SWAP) as part of Positive Ageing Month.

It represented an opportunity for senior residents to express their opinions on a range of local issues which affect them.

A survey conducted at the start of the meeting revealed that 75 per-cent of attendees felt unheard, despite seniors making up a significant portion of the district’s voting population. In the Fermanagh and Omagh District, approximately 21,000 individuals are over 65, accounting for one in five residents – a statistic expected to rise to one in four by 2040.

As the meeting, overseen by Peter Osbourne, commenced, the participants identified three primary concerns: Transport, health and wellbeing, and access to services.

Half of those surveyed expressed worries about transportation, while health and wellbeing were also significant issues. Additionally, one-third of attendees wished to be more involved in decision-making, and concerns about isolation were raised by 25 per-cent of the group.

One of the most striking statistics revealed that 48 per-cent of participants believed the council wasn’t doing enough to support them, with the same percentage stating they were unaware of the council’s actions.

ACCESS TO SERVICES

Given the group’s focus on health, the discussion quickly turned to the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

One attendee stressed the critical nature of maintaining this service, stating, “To lose the hospital would threaten the lives of many in the room.” Another added, “I think it’s disgraceful; why are we being left out, cast off from the rest of Northern Ireland?”

Councillor Barry McElduff responded to these concerns, acknowledging ‘health inequalities’ within the Western Trust.

“We historically lost acute services at the Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh. When that decision was made, we invested in the future of the SWAH.

“The Enniskillen hospital is hugely important and my priorities include making sure there is a solid, sustainable hospital in the future.

“At the Omagh end there needs to be a new mental health facility to replace Elm and Lime – these are the big, acute issues.”

TRANSPORT CHALLENGES

Transport was another major concern raised at the event.

One resident lamented, “Fermanagh has been forgotten about when it comes to transport.”

“Over 60 years ago, Enniskillen could have had an M1 to Belfast, but it was built as far as Dungannon and wasn’t brought any further,” they added.

“We have been ignored about the railway too, the only county in Ireland without a railway system,” interjected another man.

Expressing his ‘extreme disappointment’ at how the strategic rail review excluded the Fermanagh area, council chair John McClaughry said, “It seemed quite unbelievable that we were excluded from the strategic rail review.

“However, on a positive note, they have already contacted our planners with reference to getting the rail link through Omagh which I thought was quite quick.”

The A5 route, the A32 linking Omagh and Enniskillen, and the Rural Link from Carrickmore to Omagh were also discussed.

“For people in the Omagh district, our acute hospital is in Enniskillen so the A32 is crucial and the patient experience is very bad on bendy roads along the route such as Cornamuck – that’s being raised all the time,” assured Cllr McElduff.

SAFETY CONCERNS

Safety emerged as a key issue, with 50 percent of participants reporting they sometimes felt unsafe due to unmaintained footpaths.

One resident described the footpaths outside the Courthouse in Omagh as ‘treacherous.’

“They have added a rail but the surface is totally inappropriate,” they said.

Another local woman highlighted the hazards of falling, stating, “The footpaths are a disaster, and if I fall at my age, that would be the end of me.”

Councillor McElduff acknowledged these concerns, suggesting that the design and maintenance of footpaths needs to be re-evaluated to better serve older residents.

“Where High Street meets John Street in Omagh is certainly a hot spot for accidents,” he commented.

“But it is my understanding that the Department for Infrastructure are about to make improvements there, and I’m asking them to put safety before aesthetics because a lot of people have fallen on the path from Serendipity right down to Russells,” he said.

The council chair also acknowledged these concerns, suggesting that the design and maintenance of footpaths need to be reevaluated to better serve older residents.

Despite the challenges highlighted, many attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to voice their concerns as the engagement drew to a close.

“I just wanted to say thank you to the people who organised this meeting,” one older woman added.

“I think it has been very useful and I feel privileged to be here, to be heard and to be able to listen to other people’s questions and concerns.”

Kathleen Thomas “I think today went excellent and it was great for everyone to be able to put in their own views on things that really do concern them. The main things as we get older is our health and our ability to get about – and isolation is a big thing – and these were all discussed thoroughly which was very helpful.

Brian McMenamin “I found the day very informative and it was worthwhile coming here. I picked up on a lot of things that can and should be done locally, which is an ongoing process I suppose.”

Cecilia McMenamin “I thought the day went really well. We actually learned some things we didn’t know which was useful and we found the discussions good. Although I personally didn’t speak, I was very interested to hear what other older people had to say.”

Malcom Lake “It was good to be involved in the discussions this morning and a lot of people got to say what they wanted to say. Unfortunately the PA system wasn’t very good and it was quite hard to hear at times but on the whole it went very well and people were able to raise their concerns.”

Veda Lake “I think today went very well. I spoke on one issue of footpaths because so many people have fallen; I asked the councillors to come for a walk together through Omagh to show them. They asked us why I don’t want to leave my house and the answer is falling – I am so scared something will happen, and at my age falling will mean the end of me.”