Padraig O'Morain asks three groups representing older people whether they think the UK model of policy could be employed in Ireland
Age Action Ireland: To have a high-level official like Prof Philp in Ireland to encourage Government departments and public agencies to age-proof their services is vital, says Paul Murray, spokesman for Age Action Ireland.
Many, many reports have been published on the importance of positive ageing and on the need for better services in the community to enable older people to continue living at home, he says.
What is needed now is someone "tapping people on the shoulder saying this is what we should be doing".
One of the best things Prof Philp has done in England was to find out what older people themselves thought of the health services and what changes they would like to see.
"We don't ask older people what it is they want," says Murray.
"To have somebody like Prof Philp who finds out what people are thinking is very useful."
Prof Philp's emphasis on tackling age discrimination was also welcome. "Discrimination is really the paramount issue for many older people because it percolates through the whole system."
An example was the exclusion from the BreastCheck screening and treatment programme of women over 64 years old in those parts of the country in which it is available. Website: www.ageaction.ie
Irish Senior Citizens Parliament: The parliament has sought the introduction of intermediate care packages such as those promoted by Prof Philp to enable older people to return from hospital to their own homes, the parliament's chief executive, Michael O'Halloran, says.
But older people often cannot come home from hospital because the work of the various agencies is not co-ordinated, even at a practical level like the provision of hand rails, he says.
"Many more people could come home from hospital if we had these services in place."
There would be a value in having an official either at a high level in the Health Services Executive or an independent official to co-ordinate the implementation of policies for older people and to point out to the various service providers what needed to be done.
The parliament has made submission after submission on the services and policy changes needed but they have not been followed up, he says.
However, the Minister for Health Mary Harney had attended the recent conference of the parliament "and it seemed to me she was sincere about doing something to improve the care of older people".
Older people are increasingly better informed and educated "and the demand for higher standards will increase". Website: www.seniors.ie
Age & Opportunity: The organisation has sought the appointment of an official in Ireland who would do the same sort of job as Prof Philp in the UK, according to its director of communications, Ann Leahy.
Part of Prof Philp's success, she says, seems to stem from the fact that he was appointed to a very high level in the public service "and a lot of things seem to be flowing from that".
In Ireland, such an official would need to be appointed at the highest level in the Health Services Executive or in the Department of Health.
Such an official would need to find out what older people wanted both in relation to long-term care and to services in the community.
There is relatively little research on issues such as the quality of life of people in nursing homes, says Leahy.
New generations of older people will demand more than was the case in the past, she believes.
"I think sometimes older people have low expectations of services. But I think people getting older now will expect more. I hope it is going to be different," says Leahy.
The HSE has established an office concerned with services for older people, Leahy notes.
Website: www.olderinireland.ie