DONEGAL has four registered centres to provide respite beds for children across the county – and services at two of the centres were recently suspended in order to provide emergency accommodation for people with disabilities.
At last week’ meeting of the Regional Health Forum, Cllr. Gerry McMonagle asked for an update on the four centres and if there were any plans to increase the number of respite beds in Donegal.
The four centres are Drumboe House, Stranorlar, Riverwalk Respite House in Carndonagh, Ballymacool Respite House in Letterkenny and Seaview Respite House in Mountcharles.
Cllr McMonagle was advised by Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer of the Community Healthcare Organisation for Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo that services in both Drumboe and Riverwalk had to be suspended in order to provide emergency residential accommodation for people with a disability who would otherwise have been left homeless.
“Alternative accommodation has been secured for those who temporarily resided in Riverwalk Respite House,” Mr Monaghan said.
“The Donegal Human Resources department is recruiting the approved nursing and health care assistant positions for Riverwalk House with the aim of reopening respite services to children and adults as soon as possible.
“Recruitment in the context of national workforce shortages is proving challenging. Donegal Disability Service is also actively seeking suitable alternative accommodation for the people with disabilities who reside in Drumboe House.”
In his written reply Mr Monaghan stated that Ballymacool Respite House provides respite services to 104 children and adults six nights per week and Rehab Care Seaview Respite House provides respite services to 50 children and adults seven nights per week.
He added that Seaview Respite service was recently extended to six and then seven days per week last summer in response to the reduction in Drumboe and Riverview respite provision.
“In addition, alternative respite supports such as direct payments and intensive support packages have been offered to service users and their families whist the availability of respite is reduced.
“Donegal Disability Services are committed to restoring and enhancing respite provision for service users as a matter of priority. Business cases have recently been submitted seeking funding for additional respite capacity in Donegal Disability Services as follows: To extend respite in Ballymacool Respite House to seven days per week; To extend respite in Riverwalk Respite House to seven days per week when it reopens and to provide evening and weekend Respite Services in the service’s Ballaghderg facility in Letterkenny.
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