Making Life Better Together

Belfast Trust signs up to Age-friendly Belfast Charter

Age-friendly Belfast is delighted the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has signed up to the age-friendly Charter.

The Charter was produced to help organisations and business to sign up to shared standards that will help make Belfast a city where older people live life to the full.

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Pictured (back row): Belfast Health and Social Care Trust staff, Dr Cathy Jack, Bryan Nelson, Marie Heaney. Front row: Rita Murray, Dr Michael McBride, Geraldine McKee.

The Belfast Trust provides a range of services for older people in the community, at home, and across hospital sites. The Trust employs over 20,000 staff and its purpose is to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities so the opportunity to further develop age friendly services and locations is important for the Trust.  This fits well with the age friendly vision that Belfast will be a City where older people live life to the full.  Cathy Jack, Medical Director, is coordinating this work with an expert team across the Trust and commented that “we are delighted to be part of the Age-friendly Belfast Charter and look forward to continuing to improve our services and in becoming more age friendly”.

Belfast Trust, as part of their Action Plan, will initially focus on two hospital sites – Belfast City Hospital and Royal Victoria Hospital – delivering customer care training as well as working on communication, signage and accessibility.

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Representatives from BHSCT, Age-friendly Belfast team with sisters Geraldine McKee and Rita Murray (holding sign) at the Trust charter signing.

Linked with this the Trust are focusing on dementia friendly awareness and have already identified a number of dementia friendly champions. They will also be implementing ‘John’s campaign’ – allowing families and carers of people with dementia to remain with them in hospital for as many hours as they are needed, and as they are able to give.

For more information on the Age-friendly Belfast Charter, please contact Elma Greer  on 028 9050 2073 or email elma.greer@bhdu.org



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