Social exclusion, rural transport, a lack of Gardai on the beat and online safety are just some of the major concerns felt by a number of elderly people across Co Monaghan.
That's according to Lorraine Cunningham of Blayney Blades who recently attended a meeting of Co Monaghan's Local Community Safety Partnership which was held in the Peace Campus.
Lorraine Cunningham of the Blayney Blades group was in attendance and used this platform to share the many challenges facing older people within our communities, particularly when it comes to social exclusion and what can be done to combat this.
According to the community worker, there is a "real fear" out there amongst older people when it comes to being scammed, whether that be online, via telephone or text.
To help combat this issue, Blayney Blades has rolled out a number of initiatives in conjunction with Cavan-Monaghan ETB, the AIB branch in Castleblayney and members of community Gardai to help educate older members of the community on how to be tech savvy and avoid fraudsters.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Lorraine said it's important for people to avail of the services and workshops offered by Blayney Blades.
Lorraine highlighted the importance for older people to educate themselves and be more independent:
