The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
FAMILY FIGHTING FOR RESPITE CARE
FAMILY OF AUTISTIC BOY SAY THEY ARE IN LIMBO AFTER HIS RESPITE HOURS DRY UP
THE parents of a young boy with autism find themselves fighting for the respite hours they were promised by the HSE last year after a private care company tasked with delivering their respite informed the family it would no longer be able to provide an outreach service.
Adam Godley (10) who has autism – categorised as moderate to severe on the spectrum – is currently accessing limited respite hours in Listowel after in-home outreach respite hours delivered by carers to his home ended recently due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Adam would be described as having very high-care needs. He is non-verbal and requires help with everything from getting dressed to using the toilet, it’s 24/7 and it has impacted heavily on all of us,” Mary Kelly Godley told The Kerryman last week of her beloved son’s needs.
Activities like holidays and excursions other families take for granted have been completely out for the Godleys as Adam’s care needs have exacted an inevitable strain on their daily quality of life since he was a toddler; as they worked round-the-clock to provide him with the loving care he needs.
The family fought long and hard to secure respite hours from the HSE, finally getting approval in February of last year for a maximum of six hours outreach per week.
“But it took six months from when we were approved before we got any,” Ms Kelly Godley explained. They were finally delivered via carers employed by a private company under contract to the HSE.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances the six-hour provision dwindled, in a source of deep frustration to the family that hit a complete low in recent weeks as the arrangement that did exist came to an end.
While the HSE has informed the family that another company has been tasked with re-instating the provision, Ms Kelly Godley claims the family is owed over 150 ‘back’ hours - hours that for varying reasons were not delivered as the family had expected they would be.
Her attempts to get a copy of the service agreement between the HSE and the company that had delivered the outreach in order to find out who is responsible for delivering the back-hours the family believe is owed them have been unsuccessful.
Ms Kelly Godley is meanwhile now backing a Government proposal that would see families given a budget each year by the HSE to allow them employ care companies directly. “I think it would give us much greater control over when and how we would get the hours.”