A happy place supporting people with dementia in Tipperary

A Clonmel day care centre has become a vital resource for people living with dementia and for their families.

Situated next to St. Anthony’s Unit at Glenconnor, Le Cairde is what its Irish name suggests, a place of friendship.

For its clients it has become their ‘happy place’, where they meet their friends, take part in singing and dancing, play games and enjoy their lunch before returning home.

For four days each week, Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4pm, it is their home from home.

Centre manager Catherine Bartels says that not only do the clients enjoy their time at Le Cairde, but so do the staff. “All of us love working here”, she points out.

“We get as much out of welcoming our clients every day as they get for from us. It’s just a lovely place to work, each and every one of our clients are fantastic. We come in on Monday morning and it’s a pleasure to meet them. Everyone is happy and content and none of them say that they don’t want to be here.

“And the feedback from the families is so positive. They describe Le Cairde as a lifeline, that they couldn’t live without out, that they couldn’t continue work without it. The service allows people to get out of their home, to be more active, to engage with others, and for family members it provides a much-needed respite”, Ms Bartels explains.

Le Cairde is different from many other day care centres as it is dementia-specific and clients must have a dementia diagnosis and be referred by the HSE, their GP, a public health nurse or their family.

It is run by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, founded in 1982 by a small group of carers to care for those suffering from Alzheimers. Today it is the leading voluntary organization for Alzheimer and dementia care in Ireland.

Says Catherine Bartels – “When someone gets a diagnosis of dementia it can be a very difficult and lonely time for the person with dementia, but also a very challenging time for their loved ones, family members and carers. The Alzheimer Society want to ensure that everyone with dementia feels listened to and supported in their journey with dementia, and that we can provide them with the best possible services so that they can stay living as independently as possible at home, with services and supports available to them”.

Le Cairde, located in a bright, airy and spacious building on the Glenconnor campus, is funded by the HSE but also depends on voluntary fundraising to expand and develop its services. Recently, Clonmel Rotary Club held a collection over three days in the town and presented a cheque for €4,500 to the centre.

Ms Bartels paid tribute to the club for its generosity and pointed out that every cent would be spent on the centre. She pointed out that the extra income from outside sources would be spent in areas such as acquiring new tables and chairs, preparing a hairdressing room for clients and possibly expanding the number of days it is open from four to five. “That funding from Rotary means so much to us”, she adds.

Up to eighteen people attend each day at the centre, and sometimes the number is over twenty. They are collected by bus from their homes and taken to the centre where they enjoy six hours of camaraderie, games, exercises, dancing and group sing-songs, with local musician Michael Mackey leading the choir.

“We want to make sure that people with dementia are listened to in the best possible way, and respected, but that their family members also feel that they have the support that they need. I truly believe that everyone deserves to have those supports available to them”, says Catherine Bartels who has been involved with the Alzheimer Society for seventeen years.

The society also provides a day care at home service, where care is provided at home for a designated number of hours per week. It also has a support group meeting where families and carers can meet once per month. In addition, the Clonmel centre runs virtual events where those with dementia right across Ireland can log in for music and entertainment.

Dementia figures are stark. There are 2,457 people in Tipperary diagnosed with dementia, 64,000 people nationwide and it is estimated by 2035 there will be 150,000 with dementia in Ireland. There are a number of triggers to get dementia but Catherine Bartels points out that people living longer is a significant contributory factor.

“We have an ageing population. Many years ago someone with dementia might be considered senile, and put into institutions, but it’s great that we have these supports available. We have people under the age of 65 and people over 65. It can affect any age group. There are people under the age of 60 with dementia in our area, not coming here to the centre, but they are being cared for at home”, she adds.

A key aspect of the society’s approach to its work, and that of Le Cairde, is that everyone with dementia feels listened to and supported on their journey with dementia and that the society provides them with the best possible services so that they can stay living as independently as possible.

Everyone attending Le Cairde lives at home, as the centre cannot take anyone in a long-term care facility. Ms Bartels explains – “Everyone attending here lives at home, in their own homes or living with their family members, and is being supported by carers or family members. And everyone is different and in a different stage in their dementia journey – early stage, middle stage or later stage – but they are either up dancing, playing bingo, or chair-based exercises.”

And they also enjoy regular outings. They recently had a wonderful day out at the nearby Glenconnor Garden Centre, while other trips have been to Marlfield Lake, Dove Hill near Carrick-on-Suir and to exhibits at both the library and museum.

Looking to the future, the priority for Le Cairde is continue to deliver a quality service to people with dementia, and keep its waiting list as low as possible. “We continue to ensure that everyone is supported in the best possible way we can”, says Catherine Bartels. “Everyone with dementia deserves the best. We have a lovely team and they ensure that all our clients are happy here”.

Le Cairde Day Care Centre is located at Glenconnor Road, Clonmel. Anyone with any queries can contact the manager, Catherine Bartels, at 086 0490548.

Making friends and having fun at Le Cairde

There’s nowhere else that Clonmel woman Antone Phelan wants to be every week other than among her friends at the Le Cairde day care centre in Glenconnor.

“Where else would I be, sitting at home twiddling my thumbs”, she responds when asked why she enjoys it so much.

There are no better testimonials to the benefits that Le Cairde brings to its clients than those of the clients and their families.

“I have been coming for over a year and I love it. The manager, Catherine Bartels, and all the staff are so nice to us. I really look forward to coming”, Antone says.

Antone and her husband Michael led a busy life, running Phelans Footwear in O’Connell Street, Clonmel. Michael has since passed on and Antone enjoys the company and friendship of all those she meets in Le Cairde.

“All the people here are like a new group of friends”, says Antone who is originally from near Midleton in County Cork. She taught for many years in Waterford before becoming involved in the family footwear business.

“The bus picks me up and delivers me home. I get a lovely lunch, which means that I don’t have to cook. I meet all my friends and might sing a song. I look forward so much to coming. What would I be doing at home?”

Anne Parker is one of Antone’s friends at Le Cairde, and her husband, Noel, explains the importance of the day care centre to the families of those with dementia.

“I couldn’t speak highly enough of the centre and its staff, they couldn’t be nicer to us. Anne loves coming every day. It is such a happy place for her”, Noel states.

And as Anne’s carer, he explains the benefits it brings to himself. It gives him much needed respite and allows him time to do other jobs in the home that require his attention.

But it’s the pleasure that Le Cairde brings to Anne that is his main consideration. “She is a different person when here, she just loves coming and joining in with the singing and dancing. I wouldn’t let her go anywhere else except here as the staff are so nice. The social model of care they provide is so important, with the respect and support they offer to all the clients”, he adds.

She points out that the importance of the day care centre became even more evident during Covid and the restrictions that followed. While the centre was closed, the staff provided day care at home to its clients but the impact wasn’t the same.

“The isolation was a big problem for them and they missed out on not coming to the centre. And then when they returned it made a huge difference.

“We put a huge emphasis on continuity of care and we can see a deterioration without that. That happened during Covid but within three weeks of returning the clients were improving again. They call this centre their happy place. They don’t want to go home”, Ann says.

The Alzheimer Society and Le Cairde is holding its Memory Walk at Fethard Town Park on Sunday, September 22, and is inviting anyone who would like to support the event to come along on the day.

People can register now for any of the Society’s organised walks around the country and in doing so help the 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland, and their families. There are over thirty official walk locations around the country, including Fethard, to choose from, or people can walk their own way with friends and family at a time and location that suits them best.

HELPLINE – 1800341341