Kelly questions how many long-stay beds for Roscrea under new arrangement

Tipperary Labour TD, Alan Kelly, says the news that Dean Maxwell Community Nursing Home will expand and incorporate the nearby Mount Carmel Nursing Home is good news for Roscrea, but many questions still surround the decision, he says.

Last week it was announced that a new deal which expands the Dean Maxwell campus to nearby Mount Carmel Nursing Home has ensured long-term public care will continue to be provided in Roscrea.

The Dean Maxwell campus will grow after securing the 30 beds in the Mount Carmel Nursing Home when the HSE will acquire the facility as a going concern.

Fears had been building in the town in recent years that the creation of a new 50 bed Nursing Home on the grounds of St. Conlon's in Nenagh forecasted the closure of Roscrea's long-term care beds and that Roscrea people would be accommodated in Nenagh, which is 32-km away on a route with few public transport options.

Deputy Kelly spoke about the development this week and cautioned there may be a reduction in the number of long-stay beds.

“I welcome the decision of the HSE to take over Mount Carmel Nursing Home in Roscrea as a going concern. This is positive news with regards to retaining long stay beds in the town”, Deputy Kelly told the Tribune.

“Questions still remain however, with regards to the overall compliment of facilities and beds that will be available in the town with the changes to the Dean Maxwell”, he said.

“For instance - what will the total compliment of long stay beds be now?

“Will it be the sum of what was publicly in Dean Maxwell and privately in Mount Carmel, or will it be just what is in Mount Carmel currently?”, Deputy Kelly asked.

“If so, that would be a decrease in total number of long stay beds in Roscrea? Or will it be somewhere in between?

“Also what other services will now be offered as a result. I presume there will be rehabilitation and pallative care and this is welcome.

“However, the question over long stay beds really needs to be answered. Will there be less, the same or more? We need that answered by this Government and their supporters”, Deputy Kelly said.

HSE STATEMENT
Last week the HSE Mid West Community Healthcare group issued a statement in relation to care of the elderly in Roscrea and developments in relation to Mount Carmel Nursing Home and the Dean Maxwell.

"HSE Mid West Community Healthcare welcomes all support for the development of Residential Older Person Services in Roscrea. We are progressing a detailed feasibility assessment to map HSE services to the Older Persons population of the Roscrea area now and over the coming years. We can now confirm that this has now taken an important step forward”, the statement said.

"Following on from an initial assessment, the HSE has given approval for an in-depth feasibility study regarding the potential acquisition of Mount Carmel Nursing Home, Roscrea.

“This detailed process, which will commence shortly, will involve HSE Mid West Community Healthcare, the HSE National Office for Community Operations and the HSE Capital and Estates Division.

"As part of this process, we will engage with relevant stakeholders over the coming months. Preliminary discussions have been held between the HSE and representatives for the owners of Mount Carmel”, the HSE said.

"The Mount Carmel site will be considered in the context of a multi-location solution for future service delivery in the Roscrea area.

“The HSE is planning for the continued delivery of care from the Dean Maxwell Unit as part of this solution, as well as examining the potential for the development of services at the Cré House site when it becomes vacant by 2024.

"Older Persons Services in the north Tipperary area will also be enhanced later in 2023 with the opening of the new state-of-the-art 50-bed Community Nursing Unit in Nenagh," the HSE statement said.