Care & Repair: Free DIY jobs for Older People

“They did a fantastic job, true gentlemen, I was absolutely delighted with the work they did. They went above and beyond what I asked of them.” Patricia, Dublin

Patricia called Age Action to tell us how delighted she was with the work our volunteers did in her home. She had called Age Action to ask if we could hang some pictures. They had been taken down some weeks earlier when she had her house painted and she was unable to put them back up. The volunteers called and not only did they hang her pictures, they also freed up a door that was jamming and fixed a crooked curtain rail.

This is just a small example of the huge difference a little extra support can make in the life of an older person who doesn’t have family around to help them.

Patricia is just one of thousands of older people who have received the Care & Repair service throughout Ireland already in 2017. It’s easy to produce numbers to describe the service but comments like that from our clients are what really get to the heart of what we do for people.  

It’s is the effort, dedication and passion of our staff, volunteers and community partners that enables us to help keep our vulnerable older people safe at home. All year round volunteers from Age Action’s Care & Repair programme do DIY jobs for older people free of charge. Jobs that volunteers can do include gardening, moving furniture, putting up smoke alarms, small repairs and small painting/decorating jobs.

By John O'Mahony - Programme Manager