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As the world’s population ages, older persons are increasingly stepping into roles of leadership, advocacy and innovation. Older people are not just participants in society — they are shaping it like never before.
As the newly appointed Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, and an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health and the Vice President for Europe at the International Federation on Ageing, Siobhan Casey has over 16 years of experience working with and for older people. As the Commissioner, her role involves safeguarding and protecting older people, holding public bodies to account, and ensuring that the voices of older people are central to the policies and practices that shape their lives in Northern Ireland.
In this blog, she explains why, as a 62-year-old herself, our aspirations, well-being and rights must be central to all our collective futures.
Aspirations that shape the future
Last week, I had a normal day in my work calendar, or so I thought. I was meeting a group of older people to explain my role and answer their questions. As soon as the meeting started, I quickly realised that this self-named group "Memory Lane" was no ordinary group but one with a focus on influencing action and change. Their questions were incisive: ranging from improving their hospital appointment experience and expediting smoother driver assessment through to the need for more user-friendly explanations of the "Enduring Power of Attorney" process for managing property and financial affairs should you lose your mental capacity.
While their aspirations were razor–sharp: to improve life for people like themselves who are living with early onset dementia, it was their resilience, social connection and gratitude for life that I found spellbinding. It was inspiring and deeply humbling to see how they were resolutely living well with dementia and were determined to shape the future for others.
One of the group members, Steve, serves as the chair of the 3Nations Dementia Working Group Steering Committee for the Alzheimer’s Society UK and has since invited me to attend their next meeting. I came away thinking that the "Memory Lane” group is a shining reminder that every stage of life holds potential for leadership and impact.
Well-being: A focus on prevention
During my 2018 fellowship year at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at Trinity College Dublin, I consulted a group of Fellows about designing a well-being programme for older people using the fellowship programme’s Theory of Change model.
Two years later, I launched the Age NI “Good Vibrations” well-being programme to improve the physical and psychological deconditioning of older people after the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring expert guidance from a range of Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health, the programme offered information, online support and wearable technology to improve well-being, based on the philosophy, “What’s good for your brain is good for your heart.”
Between 2021 and 2025, the programme supported thousands of carers, men aged 50 years and over, and older people experiencing frailty, with a user-centred focus at every stage.
While a robust impact and evaluation of all the programmes demonstrates significant psychological and physical well-being outcomes for participants, the key success factor for me was how the contribution, passion and leadership of the Age NI Consultative Forum, a group of “experts through experience,” shaped the programme’s innovative elements and its delivery.
Rights that must be recognised and protected
While all Atlantic Fellows share a commitment to ensuring that older persons have the same human rights as everyone else, as Fellows, we also want to ensure that these rights are not overlooked or violated. From elder abuse and neglect to forced retirement and discrimination, older adults face systemic challenges that undermine their dignity and autonomy.
At a recent International Federation of Ageing Conference, with a group of Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health, I was encouraged to hear there is growing global support for a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons, a legal framework to ensure protection, equality and justice for older adults worldwide. This convention would help governments and institutions uphold the rights of older persons in areas like healthcare, housing, employment and legal protection.
Driving action: Local and global impact
Finally, as I reflect on this theme, I would like to pay tribute to the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, the funder of the Atlantic Fellowship, Charles “Chuck” Feeney. This year is the second anniversary of his passing (on Oct. 9, 2025). My first role focused on ageing, as director of marketing at Age NI, and was funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. Mr Feeney’s investment in the Atlantic Fellowship is a testament to how he, as an older person, drove action to deliver local and global impact. Through his investment in the Fellows, we continue to build a world where older persons are empowered to lead, contribute and thrive. Because when older persons drive change, everyone moves forward.
We all must play our part in ensuring that older people’s voices are heard and that their rights are recognised and respected. If anyone would like to join in a conversation about the UN Convention, please contact me: email siobhan.casey@gbhi.org
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