Awesome in her 80s, why Mary Robinson is ideal older woman (and up there with Helen Mirren)
ACTOR Helen Mirren and former President Mary Robinson have been hailed as ‘role models’ for ageing well by the presenter of a new documentary which charts the joys and challenges of remaining healthy as we get older.
The episode – which airs tomorrow – is part of the RTÉ series, 10 Things To Know About and is presented by Kathriona Devereaux and Jonathan McCrea and will explore the impact of nutrition, delirium and sight loss on the ageing process.
Speaking ahead of the show’s broadcast, Ms Devereaux namechecked Mrs Robinson and 78-yearold Ms Mirren – who starred in the recent Barbie blockbuster – as two examples of well-known figures who have aged well.
The award-winning broadcaster told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘They’re the kind of people who I look to in terms of ageing well, rather than necessarily how someone looks.
‘If you’re talking about role models of ageing well, someone like Helen Mirren comes to mind, she’s fabulous at whatever age she’s at.
‘She looks like a really good version of herself at whatever age she is.’
Ms Devereaux said of the former President of Ireland: ‘You look at someone like Mary Robinson, who’s 80 and still trying to save the planet and working for good her whole life and career and is obviously healthy and well enough to do that.’
The presenter said the episode specifically looks at an eyesight condition macular degeneration and the impact is has on ageing. ‘I looked at eyesight, which you mightn’t think is the most relevant thing, but with ageing well we need to keep all our faculties intact if we’re going to live full and active lives.
‘There are enough people in Ireland with macular degeneration to fill Croke Park,’ she said.
‘There are treatments at the moment that help, but they don’t actually halt or stop the disease so there’s a lot of research about the disease being done at the moment to see if they can arrest macular degeneration by harnessing the immune system.’
One treatment currently available to slow the condition involves injections into the eyes, which Ms Devereaux said is ‘unpleasant but necessary’.
She added: ‘As you get older, it tends to get picked up on eye tests, but actually one of the biggest things you can do after getting an early diagnosis is give up smoking and it has the same effect as medication, so it’s just another reason not to smoke.’ 10 Things To Know About airs at 8.30pm tomorrow on RTÉ One