By Diarmaid Doherty
CALLS have been made for Donegal County Council to consider employing their own Occupational Therapists (OTs) in an effort to address lengthening waiting lists for OT services.
One councillor even suggested that the council could look at the possibility of taking on retired OTs who might be willing to return to work for two or three days per week.
Such a move, he said, would be a big step towards tackling the backlog of cases where people are waiting for months to avail of an OT’s assistance.
In many cases, the OT is needed to help people avail of housing adaptation grants for those with a disability, or an old person’s grant in order to carry out necessary home improvements.
Cllr Gerry McMonagle said too many people across the county have to wait way too long for an OT.
Speaking during a debate at Thursday’s meeting of Donegal County Council’s Housing and Corporate Strategic Policy Committee, he said he wasn’t in any way being critical of OTs who do a fantastic job.
“The important thing is to deliver the service to the people that need them,” he said.
“We all would have cases of people who have been waiting months and months for an OT for services that they need to live a normal life, whether that be to get upstairs with a stair lift, or a downstairs wet room.
“The council should be keeping all options open to ensure that we deal with the more complex and needy cases first, and get them done.
“If we can clear the backlog by bringing someone in who is maybe retired and is a qualified OT and has a few hours to spare, two or three days a week, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
His comments came in support of a motion by Cllr Micheál Choilm mac Giolla Easbaig that the council should employ OTs and social workers in an effort to address the backlog of cases in the county.
Cllr Donal Coyle, pictured below, in seconding the motion, said the OTs provide a great service, but the lack of OTs was the problem.
He had also raised the issue during a debate at last week’s meeting of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District.
“I know of one particular couple who are waiting five months at this stage for an OT to come to do a report,” he said.
“With the burden that is placed on OTs and the amount of work they have to do in relation to grants, could Donegal County Council as a temporary measure look outside the HSE to address the backlog that is caused by the lack of OTs?
“As a temporary measure, OTs could be accessed from other parts of the country or from across the border.”
Council housing officer Eamonn Brown said he fully understands the concerns expressed by the councillors.
However, he told how he recently met with two OT managers who highlighted the recruitment and retention difficulties the HSE has been experiencing in this sector.
“I accept the motion,” he said.
“But I suppose that may present its own challenges when the HSE is unable to recruit and retain the OTs.”
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