‘ALLWEWANTISSOMEHELP’
FAMILIES AT THEIR WITS END OVER LACK OF RESPITE CARE IN COUNTY
A NUMBER of families in the Enniscorthy area and right across the county who have adults with special needs have been without respite for over a year after the HSE put ‘emergency residential placements’ into a house which was designated for respite care.
The five bedroom respite house – Teach Shingán at Milehouse Road, Enniscorthy, which opened ten years ago – was the result of a lot of hard work and campaigning on the part of Parents of St Anthony’s Unit at the County Wexford Community Workshop (CWCW) and it provides a much needed break for over 55 families across Wexford.
Just over 18 months ago the HSE took one of the rooms for the full-time care of a client in an ‘ emeregency situation’. Another emergency placement was later added, with a third service user who transitioned from a low support service placement, leaving two respite beds during the week and three at weekends.
A number of local families have said that they are no longer comfortable leaving their adults in respite at Teach Shingán.
Some of the parents, as a consequence, have not been able to avail of respite for over a year. Frustratingly, they are aware of a three bedroom bungalow owned by the HSE in Clonhaston which would be ideal for residential care, but currently lies empty as the HSE tell them the finances are not available to adapt it.
Patsy and Madeleine Morrissey from Kiltealy provide full-time care for their three adult children all of whom have autism. Madeleine received significant praise for her devotion to caring for her children in 2014 when she was awarded the National Carer of the Year award. However, three years on, she and Patsy haven’t been able to take up respite for over a year.
‘ We haven’t had respite since February or March of last year,’ said Patsy. ‘ We have three lads, so obviously two beds is no good to us, we need three.
‘ They say they know, but they’ve no clue what goes on in our house. I’d invite anyone from the HSE to spend a fortnight in our house and they wouldn’t be long about changing things. All we’re looking for is a little bit of help.
‘Personally, I think we’re due a small bit of help,’ he said. ‘I don’t want someone to come in and rear my lads. I don’t even want somebody to come out and collect them and bring them in. We’re just looking for that little bit of help.’
Lena Byrne provides full time care for her daughter Finula. Finula is severe epileptic and prone to taking seizures in her sleep in the middle of the night. This means that sleep is a luxury that Lena does not often have as she spends long nights tending to and checking on her daughter. Respite would at the most basic level be used to just catch up on some sleep.
‘ We’ve met with the HSE and they’ve told us there’s no point in talking to local TDs or anything like that,’ she said. ‘ They say the money just isn’t there. The HSE has to solve this problem though. There doesn’t seem to be any negotiation or any desire for them to sit down and talk with the parents and the CWCW. They’re saying that this is an emergency, but this situation has been going on for nearly two years. How long can an emergency last?’
Finally, 80 year-old Anne Byrne provides full time care for her son John (48) who has Downs Syndrome.
‘My John is a capable chap,’ she said. ‘He’s very good, but he he’s limited in some of the things he does and things take him longer. This situation is keeping people from getting access to respite. It’s not fair at all.’
The trio of parents were full of praise for CWCW, who officially run the respite house, but they say that as the HSE provide the funding, they ‘call the shots’ and can commandeer beds at will.
A spokesperson for the HSE conceded that this was an ‘emergency situation’ which they were trying to resolve.
‘It has impacted on respite service provision particularly to those service users who accessed planned respite services,’ the spokesperson said. ‘One of the two emergency placements is currently being transitioned to onward placement.
‘ The HSE will continue to explore all alternative options (within available resources) for the remaining two placements. However, emergency placements must take precedence over any planned respite service provision.’
The HSE said that periodic respite scheduling meetings are held between the HSE and service providers to create a forum whereby those seeking respite are ‘ prioritised and their needs are met as much as possible within the available resources’.
They added that there is a major demand for respite services in the county at the moment and they are under pressure to keep up.
‘As with other areas, the provision of respite services in Wexford has come under further pressure in recent years,’ the spokesperson said. ‘ There is an increase in the number of persons (children and adults) that are seeking access to these services. There is currently increasing levels of “changing needs” due to the increase in the age of the disability population.
‘ The HSE is aware of the significant challenges in the years ahead and we will endeavour to ensure that all of the resources available for disability services are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible.’