Building Capability for an Ageing Ireland
Ireland’s demographic transformation demands new skills across every sector. Healthcare professionals need enhanced competencies in geriatric care and age-appropriate service delivery. HR teams require tools for managing multigenerational workplaces and supporting workforce longevity. Service designers must understand the realities of older users. Community workers need practical approaches to age-friendly development. Leaders need perspective on how demographic change will reshape their organisations.
Yet most professionals working in Ireland today weren’t trained for the country we’re becoming. Medical education still underweights geriatrics relative to population needs. HR curricula rarely address age diversity with the depth it deserves. Service design methodologies often assume younger, digitally-native users. The result is a capability gap—well-intentioned professionals who lack the knowledge and skills to serve an ageing Ireland effectively.
Críonna Health’s education and training programmes close this gap. We build the knowledge, skills, and perspectives your organisation needs to thrive as Ireland ages.
[View Our Training Programmes →]Why Training Matters
The Old Approaches Won’t Work
Consider the realities confronting Irish professionals today:
Healthcare workers face an increasingly older patient population with complex, chronic conditions requiring integrated management—yet many were trained in systems that prioritised acute, episodic care for younger patients.
HR professionals manage workforces where over 35% of employees will soon be 55 or older—yet most HR frameworks were developed when retirement at 65 was assumed and workforce composition was younger.
Service designers create digital products and customer experiences—yet often without understanding how visual impairment, reduced dexterity, and cognitive changes affect how older adults interact with their designs.
Community workers implement age-friendly strategies—yet may lack practical tools for meaningful older adult engagement or evaluating intervention effectiveness.
Managers and leaders make strategic decisions affecting older workers and older customers—yet may hold unconscious assumptions that undervalue experience and capability.
The consequences are real: services that don’t fit, workplaces that lose valuable talent, communities that inadvertently exclude, strategies that miss opportunities.
Training closes these gaps. We help your people understand ageing, challenge assumptions, develop practical skills, and improve outcomes for older adults and the organisations that serve them.
Our Core Training Programmes
Ageing Awareness Essentials
For: All staff, particularly customer-facing roles
A foundational programme building understanding of ageing, challenging stereotypes, and developing respectful, effective communication with older adults.
Participants Will Learn:
- The realities of ageing in Ireland—demographics, diversity, and capabilities
- How to recognise and counter ageism in personal attitudes and organisational practices
- Effective communication approaches for interacting with older adults
- Understanding sensory and cognitive changes and their practical implications
- The business case for serving older adults well
Format: Half-day (3.5 hours) or full-day (7 hours) with extended activities
Delivery: In-person at your location or live online
This interactive, practical programme uses scenario-based learning, group discussion, and reflection exercises. Participants leave with immediate actions they can implement and a fundamentally shifted perspective on ageing.
[Book Ageing Awareness Training →]Age-Inclusive Workplace
For: HR professionals, line managers, leadership teams, people managers
A comprehensive programme on managing the ageing workforce effectively—from recruitment through retirement and beyond.
Participants Will Learn:
- Understanding workforce demographics and their strategic implications
- Recognising and addressing ageism in recruitment, development, and retention
- Managing multigenerational teams effectively
- Designing policies that attract and retain experienced workers
- Supporting phased retirement and knowledge transfer
- Building cultures where age diversity thrives
Programme Modules:
1. The Ageing Workforce: Facts, Trends, and Implications 2. Unconscious Bias and Age Discrimination 3. Recruitment and Onboarding Across Generations 4. Development, Engagement, and Retention of Older Workers 5. Health, Wellbeing, and Reasonable Adjustments 6. Retirement Transition and Knowledge Transfer 7. Building Age-Inclusive Culture
Format: Full-day workshop or modular programme (7 modules, 2 hours each)
Delivery: In-person at your location, live online, or blended
Participants receive practical tools including policy templates, assessment frameworks, and implementation guides. The modular format allows organisations to focus on specific areas of priority.
[Book Workplace Training →]Retirement Transition Support
For: HR teams, employee assistance providers, occupational health, line managers of older workers
A specialist programme on supporting employees through the transition from work to retirement—one of life’s most significant changes.
Participants Will Learn:
- Understanding retirement as a major life transition, not just a financial event
- The dimensions of successful retirement: purpose, relationships, health, structure, finance
- Organisational responsibilities and opportunities in retirement support
- Practical approaches to retirement conversations with employees
- Designing and delivering retirement preparation programmes
- Supporting phased retirement and gradual transition
- Maintaining connections with retirees and alumni
Format: Half-day (3.5 hours)
Delivery: In-person or live online
This programme equips participants to have sensitive, supportive conversations about retirement and to design organisational approaches that benefit both employee and employer.
[Book Retirement Training →]Digital Inclusion for Older Adults
For: Digital service providers, UX/UI designers, customer experience teams, community organisations, anyone delivering digital services
A practical programme on designing and delivering digital experiences that genuinely work for older users.
Participants Will Learn:
- Understanding digital exclusion: the scale and nature of the digital divide
- How ageing affects technology use: vision, hearing, dexterity, cognition
- Accessibility standards and how to apply them (WCAG 2.1 and beyond)
- Inclusive design principles for older adult users
- Testing and iteration with real older users
- Supporting digital adoption: training, assistance, and hybrid approaches
- Addressing digital anxiety and building confidence
Format: Full-day (7 hours)
Delivery: In-person or live online
Participants work through practical exercises applying inclusive design principles to real digital services. They leave with actionable recommendations for their own products and services.
[Book Digital Inclusion Training →]Age-Friendly Community Development
For: Local authority staff, community development workers, planners, Age Friendly Ireland Programme Managers, Older People’s Council members
A comprehensive programme on implementing age-friendly initiatives that make real differences in communities.
Participants Will Learn:
- The WHO Age-Friendly framework and Ireland’s implementation approach
- Meaningful engagement with older adults: beyond token consultation
- Assessing community age-friendliness: tools and approaches
- Developing practical, achievable Age Friendly action plans
- Working across organisational boundaries: health, housing, transport, planning
- Measuring and communicating impact
- Building momentum and sustaining commitment
Programme Structure:
Day 1: Understanding Age-Friendliness and Meaningful Engagement Day 2: Assessment, Action Planning, and Implementation
Format: Two-day programme (can be delivered over consecutive days or with interval)
Delivery: In-person (recommended for full collaborative experience) or live online
This programme combines conceptual understanding with practical application. Participants work on real challenges from their own communities and leave with concrete action plans.
[Book Community Training →]Dementia Awareness and Response
For: All staff, particularly health and social care, retail, hospitality, transport, financial services
A sensitive, practical programme on understanding dementia, recognising signs, communicating effectively, and creating dementia-friendly environments.
Participants Will Learn:
- Understanding dementia: types, progression, and impact on individuals
- Recognising possible signs of dementia in service users and colleagues
- Communicating effectively with people living with dementia
- Practical adjustments to environments and services for dementia-friendliness
- Supporting family carers
- Understanding Irish context: services, supports, and policy landscape
Format: Half-day (3.5 hours) or full-day (7 hours) for extended practice
Delivery: In-person at your location or live online
This programme uses case studies, role-play, and practical exercises to build confidence in supporting people living with dementia with dignity and respect.
[Book Dementia Training →]Healthcare for Older Adults
For: Healthcare professionals across settings: acute, community, primary care, private
Specialist programmes enhancing healthcare professionals’ capabilities in caring for older patients.
Programme Options:
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) Principles — Half-day
Understanding and applying CGA principles in practice, appropriate for healthcare professionals across settings.
Frailty Identification and Management — Half-day
Recognising frailty, using assessment tools, and implementing frailty-appropriate care pathways.
Polypharmacy and Medicines Optimisation — Half-day
Understanding polypharmacy risks in older patients and approaches to medicines review and optimisation.
Falls Prevention and Management — Full-day
Evidence-based approaches to falls risk assessment, prevention interventions, and post-fall management.
Nutrition and Hydration in Older Adults — Half-day
Understanding nutritional challenges in ageing and practical approaches to assessment and intervention.
Communicating with Older Patients — Half-day
Effective communication approaches across diverse older patient populations, including those with cognitive or sensory impairment.
Delivery: In-person or live online; can be customised to specific clinical settings
These programmes align with relevant professional CPD requirements and can be tailored to specific service contexts.
[Discuss Healthcare Training →]Custom Programme Development
Built Around Your Needs
No two organisations are identical. Standard programmes may not address your specific challenges, sector dynamics, or organisational culture. We develop bespoke training programmes tailored to your requirements.
Recent Custom Programmes Include:
- Pharmacy teams supporting older customers with medication management, communication challenges, and health literacy considerations
- Financial services advisers working with older clients on retirement planning, cognitive concerns, and vulnerability identification
- Housing association staff managing age-friendly estates, supporting ageing tenants, and adapting services to changing needs
- Technology companies designing products for older users, incorporating accessibility from inception, and conducting effective user research with older adults
- Tourism and hospitality businesses serving the growing older traveller market with appropriate facilities and service approaches
- Contact centre teams handling calls from older customers with patience, clarity, and appropriate adjustments
We work with you to understand your specific context, develop relevant content, and deliver training that produces measurable capability improvement.
[Discuss Custom Training →]Delivery Options
Flexible Formats to Suit Your Organisation
In-Person Training
On-site at your location, anywhere in Ireland. Interactive workshops with practical exercises, group activities, and face-to-face facilitation. This remains our recommended format for comprehensive programmes where team building and deep engagement matter.
Live Online Training
Real-time virtual training via Zoom, Teams, or your preferred platform. Engaging, interactive sessions with breakout rooms, collaborative exercises, and live facilitation. Ideal for geographically dispersed teams or when travel isn’t practical.
Blended Learning
Combine online self-paced modules with live sessions—whether online or in-person. Participants complete foundational learning independently, then come together for facilitated application, discussion, and practice. Maximises flexibility while maintaining interaction.
Train-the-Trainer
Build internal capability to deliver training yourself. We train your people to deliver our programmes (under licence) or develop custom content for internal facilitators. Ideal for organisations wanting to embed ongoing capability building.
E-Learning Modules
Self-paced online learning for foundational topics. Available for integration into your LMS or accessed through our platform. Best used as preparation for live sessions or for ongoing reinforcement.
Who Attends Our Training
Our programmes serve organisations across sectors:
- HSE and healthcare providers — hospitals, community services, primary care, nursing homes
- Local authorities — Age Friendly teams, housing, planning, community services, libraries
- Employers — HR teams, line managers, occupational health, learning and development
- Community and voluntary organisations — those serving older adults or employing older workers
- Financial services — banks, insurers, pension providers, advisers
- Retail and hospitality — customer service teams, store managers, hospitality staff
- Technology companies — product teams, UX designers, customer support
Our Trainers
Críonna Health training is delivered by experienced facilitators who combine subject expertise with engaging delivery. Our trainers bring:
- Relevant qualifications in gerontology, healthcare, HR, design, or community development
- Practical experience working in the fields they teach
- Training expertise including certification in adult learning and facilitation
- Irish context knowledge — understanding of HSE, local authorities, and Irish culture
We match trainers to programmes based on subject expertise and sector relevance.
Accreditation and CPD
Our programmes can be tailored to support CPD requirements across various professional bodies. We provide attendance certificates and can work with you to ensure learning outcomes align with specific accreditation frameworks.
Current alignments include:
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) requirements
- CIPD (HR professionals) continuing professional development
- Social Work continuing professional development
- Various sector-specific frameworks on request
Training That Delivers Impact
Our Commitment to Effectiveness
We design training for impact, not just attendance. That means:
Clear Learning Outcomes
Every programme has explicit outcomes that participants will achieve. We design backwards from what people need to be able to do differently.
Active Learning Methods
Adults learn by doing, not just listening. Our programmes incorporate case studies, scenarios, role-play, group work, and practical application—not passive lectures.
Relevant Content
We use examples and case studies drawn from Irish contexts and relevant sectors. Participants see themselves in the material.
Post-Training Support
Learning doesn’t end when the session does. We provide follow-up resources, action planning templates, and check-in options to support implementation.
Evaluation
We assess participant satisfaction, learning achievement, and—where possible—behaviour change and business impact. We want to know our training works, and so do you.
Investment
Training investment varies based on programme, duration, delivery format, and participant numbers. We provide detailed proposals following initial consultation.
Indicative investment levels:
- Half-day programme (up to 20 participants): from €1,200
- Full-day programme (up to 20 participants): from €2,000
- Two-day programme (up to 20 participants): from €3,600
- Custom programme development: quoted based on scope
Volume discounts apply for multiple sessions. Ongoing training partnerships offer preferential rates.
[Request a Training Proposal →]Book Training
Equip Your Team for Ireland’s Demographic Future
Ready to build your organisation’s capability to serve an ageing Ireland? Let’s discuss your requirements and design a training approach that fits.
[Contact Our Training Team]Críonna Health
Dublin, Ireland [email protected]
