Joint venture between HSE and Support 4 Older People group
The HSE has joined forces with Drogheda and District Support 4 Older People (DDS4OP) in a landmark partnership to help distribute medical supplies to those in need in the community.
DDS4OP have opened a purpose built warehouse in Greenhills and recruited ten volunteer staff who will distribute incontinence wear for the HSE.
They are also hoping to introduce a home delivery service and plan on buying a van for this purpose in the near future.
‘It’s a big thing as the HSE has never done anything on this scale before with a charity,’ said Dave Turner from Drogheda and District Support 4 Older People. ‘ This service is provided to 800 people in the Drogheda area. Previously they were collected from the Haymarket but the place is small they and they can’t hold much stock. In addition, it can be very difficult to get parking in and around that area.
‘As far as I know, this is the fir time a partnership like this has been done in Ireland where the HSE has partnered with a community group to distribute something like this.’
The new service will start on Tuesday, March 20th.
Mr Turner said the partnership will be mutually beneficial as it will help the local community group to keep in touch with elderly members of the community and help them to avail of other services offered by DDS4OP which they may not be aware of.
‘ The majority of these collections are for older people. There are some for children as well, but in the main the service is for seniors. It’s something people don’t really like to talk about. There is a stigma attached to it and people don’t really like to talk about it, like Dementia or Alzheimers, but the more it’s talked about the better sometimes.’
DDS4OP will operate out of a purpose built unit in Greenhills Industrial Village (formerly Robert Ushers) Greenhills, Drogheda.
The collection will be available from the new warehouse on Tuesdays from 9.30am to 2pm, Wednesday from 9.30am to 2pm and Thursday from 9.30am to 2pm.
DDS4OP have been advised of the continence wear requirements of each patient and will only be permitted to issue the product in line with the details supplied by the HSE.
DDS4OP can be contacted directly at their offices at Unit 7, The Haymarket Monday to Friday between 9am to 1pm or by phoning (041) 9847764.
David Gordon from South Louth Primary Care Services said: ‘In entering into partnership with DDS4OP we both hope that this will offer a more client friendly and accessible service.’