WHERE IS OUR CARE?

Frustrated mothers and carers highlight the hidden agony of disabled patients as they plead to the HSE for urgent support

LETTERS written by families of people with disabilities seeking urgent help from the HSE show the hardships hidden behind closed doors, leading disability advocate John Dolan said.

Senator Dolan, who is head of the Disability Federation of Ireland, said: ‘I’m very clear there isn’t enough staffing and money for the level of need, the things that go on behind closed doors.’

One of these letters refers to a woman aged under 65 who is in a nursing home.

Senator Dolan said 1,300 young people have no choice but to live in nursing homes with people who are in their 80s. He said: ‘They are three or more decades younger than the average resident. They are often in isolated places.’

One man was deemed eligible for residential services but not given funding. Senator Dolan said: ‘That is Jesuitical. You might think that if you are allocated a service that means you will get it, but it only means they decided you require it. No-one will say you’re not entitled to it.’ The letter was written by the

‘Three decades younger than average residents’

National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. A spokesman said advocates frequently send such letters with over 3,600 actions in the last annual report. He could not comment on individual cases but said their remit is to deal with the most vulnerable people.

A HSE spokeswoman also could not comment on specific cases but said: ‘The issues may have already been addressed or are in the process of being addressed, as part of that process. Hiqa’s disability inspection team is legally responsible for the monitoring, inspection and registration of designated centres for adults and children with a disability.

‘These inspections are carried out regularly and the service providers, HSE or HSE-funded, must address any concerns raised by Hiqa within a certain time period.’

She said some people with disabilities aged under 65 are living in nursing homes. She added that there were complex medical and social care needs that need intensive medical care that can’t be given in a home setting.

In relation to a lack of toilet access for a teen with disabilities, she said day-care centres are sometimes outside of disability-specific buildings. Anyone with concerns to contact the local day services coordinator.