Disability Issues

Service provision:

Throughout the year it has become apparent that Rathfrdagh Cheshire service is unable to respond to a growing number of persons with Significant Physical disability who require an assisted living or supervised residential because of limitation of available space.

Rathfredagh Cheshire service has a waiting list of sixteen persons with varying needs. These range from persons with increasing debility i.e. end stage multiple sclerois, motor nuerone disease, acquired brain injuy and congental conditions with increasing levels of disability. The majority of people requesting services are in family homes where the increasing age of parents/carers is an underlying factor.

Our respite service has endeavoured to respond to this need and in crisis, residents have offered sharing of their homes, short term. This allows some response but ultimately a permanent response is required in all areas of the region.

Assisted Living:

With the occurance of an urgent need to provide young adults with services in a community setting, Rathfredagh Cheshire Home began discussions wih St. Pancreas Housing Authority to provideaccommodation at a sheltered house ing complex in Newcastle West. This service became available in March 2000. The full year cost of such a service was Ir£100,000. Costs in 2001 would amount to Ir£75,000

There is always an emerging need to provide a range of resendential, respite and day services which are local and community based. These services must be provided in environment where the focus is on maximising independence and enabling individual choice and control. A plan to developservice in CLare and Tipperary is being prepared for submission with the Mid Western Health board in 2001.

Acquired Brain Injury:

There is a growing need to provide specialised services to this group of young adults for whom no service exists. They are young adults who have survived cerebral trauma from a varity of causes such as road traffic accidents, cerebrl haemorrhage or other causes which have resulted in impairments of either physical, cognitive and psychological nature. Impairment of all systems may exist concurrently. They receive acute care in the acute general services and acute rehabilitation at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghire. However there is either a scant or non-existent service available on their retrun to their families. Because of the disabilities involved particularly the conitive and psycological disabilities families find the burden of care too great and many persons are accommodated in inappropriate services, eg. njursing homes and psychiatric hospitals. These persons require a variety of services within this region which can respond to their needs .

Transitional services which continue the acute rehabilitation services for a medium term period i.e. two years.
Long term services i.e. home with support, independent living, ongoing residential care.
A full range of psycological, physiotherapy, occupational and speech and language therapies are required together with vocational training and care services.
Cheshire Services have submitted proposal re-developments in this service to MWHB. and these are continuing to pe persued into 2001.

Occupational Health & Safety:

Risk management within the service demonstrates an ongoing need for the education of staff and service users in the minimisation of all forms of risk within the service. These issues have not been addressed within the core service funding available to date because of scarity of resources. The cost of implementing training for all staff and the introduction of Hepatitis screening programme will require addressing in 2001. The cost of introducing this scheme in 2001 will be £5000.

Aids & Appliances:

The funding of thiese items in 1999-2000 was enhanced by the allocation of major once off funding. However the ongoing need for repair, replacement and upgraing of equipment in line with technological developments requires a committed level of funding which must be integral to core funding. The annual cost of maintaining and servicing equipment and aids and appliances to Rathfredagh in 2000 was £6000.

Core Funding Issues:

The issue of core funding was raised with the Department of Health & Children and subject to the review process conducted by Mr. Tony Harmon. The information collated by Mr. Harmon is currently being traced by the Department and hopefully will be available in the near future. There is an ongoing core-funding deficit at Rathfredagh of £80,000.