Day care services to end at Abbeyleix hospital as all Laois HSE day care centres all are still shut

The closure of three key day care centres in Laois at the same has come under scrutiny in the Dáil by a Laois Offaly TD who was told that the services that were provided to the elderly at Abbeyleix Hospital are set to be relocated.

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley raised what he described as an "important issue" with the Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler. The TD said services in Portlaoise, Abbeyleix and Mountmellick are all out of commission. He asked the Minister to investigate how such decisions have been reached by the HSE.

"Day care services at the Abbeyleix community nursing unit, which were attended more than 100 people, have been closed. The hospital has ceased services to allow for its refurbishment and day care services were being housed in a part of the hospital that was being used for storage, but I am told it is not going to reopen.

"This has left a huge area of east and south Co Laois without services, in areas such as Timahoe, Swan, Ballinakill, Durrow, Rathdowney, Borris-in-Ossory and, of course, Abbeyleix itself, as well as all the areas surrounding that.

"Abbeyleix hospital offered an excellent service. It also provided services for inpatients in the nursing unit, such as chiropody and physiotherapy, along with social activities, which are very important," he said.

Dep Stanley also highlighted the situation in Portlaoise.

"It is puzzling that Portlaoise day care centre is closed for refurbishment at the same time, and I do not see activity around it, or at least there was not up to one week ago. The doors just closed. I am not arguing against refurbishment or any investment in facilities such as this but we need to find out why HSE management takes these decisions," he said.

He also pointed to another town where the centre is out of commision.

"Mountmellick day care centre, too, is closed for refurbishment and extension, meaning the entire county has been left without day care services. Laois has no day care services and that is not acceptable.

"What kind of decision-making is this? Of course, we need to upgrade and invest in facilities and that is all overdue, but we should not close the whole lot to do that," he said.

The Sinn Féin TD argued that the importance of day care centres to the elderly cannot be stressed enough. He acknowledged that Minister of State Butler, who has responsibility for older people issues, has a particular interest in this area and she is focused on the issue. He added they are vital for people, not least those who live alone in rural areas.

"We should try to support the elderly. There has been something of a change in thinking about this," he said..

He said he wanted to convey to the Minister of State the feelings that have been expressed to him by many families and elderly people throughout the Laois.

"We have been left with no day care services. We are now out of Covid, and the Minister of State can imagine how important that one outing a week was, so we should try to provide for it. It is a part of the service, along with home care in some cases, that is needed to keep people in their own homes.

"Abbeyleix hospital needs to reopen, as do the centres in Portlaoise and Mountmellick, although I ask the Minister of State to focus on the one in Abbeyleix in her response," he said.

In reply Minister Butler agreed with the Laois Offaly poll-topper on the need for day care.

"The Deputy is quite right; day care centres are very important...It is a key priority for me to allow more people to engage in services that allow them to remain independent and live in their own homes with dignity," she said.

She said it is her priority to ensure day care centres reopen as quickly and safely as possible following the necessary closures in 2020 in response to Covid-19.

"As the Deputy pointed out, Abbeyleix day care service has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19. Older person services in Laois are working closely with HSE estates to identify alternative suitable accommodation for the service to resume. The Deputy will be aware renovation works are under way to improve the residential services at the hospital.

"To facilitate work, these services were relocated to the part of the building where day services had previously been provided. These works, which were required from the perspective of infection prevention and control, public health and HIQA in light of the pandemic, are expected to be completed by quarter 1 of 2022.

"On completion, the residential service will be transferred to its original location on the ground floor. Portlaoise hospital proposes to have 18 intermediate care beds available as part its winter planning once this part of the building has been vacated by older person services. This is the area of the hospital where the day service was based.

"As an interim solution, people who attended the day service in Abbeyleix hospital will be offered a place in line with infection prevention and control and public health advice at the day service on the Timahoe Road when it reopens following necessary renovation works.

Laois community gives green light for first St Patrick's Day celebration in many years

"These renovations are also expected to be completed in quarter 1 of 2022. The HSE has confirmed to the Department that it is actively sourcing an alternative suitable building to provide a day service in Abbeyleix and the environs of Mountrath and Timahoe. The suitability of the options put forward will be considered by older person services as an alternative day service location for the people who previously attended Abbeyleix hospital.

"This is currently at the early stages of planning. The HSE has reassured the Department that the staff of the community nursing unit continue to liaise with people who previously attended the service on an ongoing basis," she said.

Dep Stanley thank the Minister of State for the reply and agreed with much of what she stated. However, he feared that the Abbeyleix service may not return.

"hen the HSE closes the door, it can be difficult to get it reopened...It closed the door of the day care centre in Monasterevin in 2014 and that has not reopened," he said.

Laois Minister welcomes water supply upgrade for home village

He said he was concerned about relocation.

"There is a site at the (Abbeyleix) hospital and, where possible, there should be support to keep the service on site. HSE estates needs to re-examine this and try to keep the service on the same site as the nursing unit, as it is now called, or the "hospital", as it is referred to locally, given there are integrated services on the site. A building is being sourced and the HSE will probably end up leasing or purchasing a site. It may be a more cost-effective option to locate the service on site and that should be explored," he said.

He asked the Minister take up the issue of these three locations with the HSE.

"When HSE estates indicates something is at an early stage, that sets alarm bells ringing for me. It needs to be pushed on. I acknowledge the point about day-to-day operational responsibility for planning and managing, as the Minister of State set out, but sometimes the HSE needs a push from a Minister’s office to get it moving. It is not acceptable that a whole county is left without day care services," he said.

Man with 66 convictions jailed for breach of Barring Order in Laois

The Minister committed to act.

"I was not aware there were none open in Laois and I give the Deputy a guarantee I will keep a close eye on that. To get older people back into the communities, it is vital they have day care centres. I will liaise with the Deputy again on it," she concluded.