“The team are changing lives for people who have suffered accidents, stroke or who have lost neuro function through illness - the support they provide allows people to regain lost independence,” according to Julie O’Neill, manager, HSE South West services in Kerry, commenting as the new HSE South West Community Neuro Rehabilitation Team was launched in recent weeks.
“We are delighted that our new Community Neuro Rehab Team is up and running, working from the new Community Rehabilitation Centre at Baile Mhuire and from the Gilbert Centre in Mallow. In some cases, their input means that people can live at home for longer. For others, the team’s support means they are now able to walk, to move around their own homes, and to lead full lives. I want to thank everyone involved in getting the team established, including the team at Baile Mhuire.”
Officially launching the region-wide service, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD noted how this was a “landmark day for Kerry.” She continued:
“This is one of just three pilot teams across the country. The team is transforming lives for people dealing with severe impacts from neurological conditions, whether they have suffered a stroke, an injury or have a life-long condition. Locating one of these teams in Kerry means that the people of Kerry have access to the best possible care close to home, when they need it. I have worked closely with the HSE to make this new regional team a reality, and I am delighted to see that there are clear support pathways in place for those who need them.”
The Community Neuro Rehab team is a specialised rehabilitation service for people who have neurological conditions including stroke, conditions following accidents or progressive conditions. The team is made of health professionals including a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Rehabilitation Assistants and administrative staff working together to help clients recover, improve health outcomes, reduce impairment and improve quality of life. The team has a base in Kerry (at Baile Mhuire Tralee) and in Cork (the Gilbert Centre Mallow).
The Minister further paid tribute to the “ongoing partnership between HSE South West and Baile Mhuire. Baile Mhuire is a voluntary organisation, and is playing a vital role by providing the wonderful accommodation for this team and many other healthcare teams. Baile Mhuire’s ongoing partnership with HSE South West demonstrates how collaboration between the HSE and voluntary agencies can deliver key services for our communities in a way that is efficient and accessible.”
Julie O’Neill also noted how they were “incredibly grateful to Baile Mhuire for their support. They are a voluntary agency that works in partnership with ourselves in HSE South West to provide services to more than 700 people every week. This partnership with a community organisation allow for the provision of valuable services like meals on wheels, a stroke programme, accredited falls prevention programmes, a memory technology resource room and much more, all from one campus in the heart of Tralee.”
Angela O’Neill, Head of Disability Services, HSE South West, added that “the fact that the Tralee team are based in the new Community Neuro Rehab building means that service users have access to both the staff and the high-tech equipment needed to support their recovery and progress. The team offers a short period of intensive therapy, usually over 12 weeks. Clients are usually seen two to three times a week during that time frame, and get specialist intervention in order to maximise their day-to-day functioning. The location of the team in the new centre at Baile Mhuire ensures that the high-tech equipment is available to a wide range of service users.”
According to Ed O’Connor, Chairperson, Baile Mhuire, “the opening of this new Community Neuro Rehab centre means that the campus of Baile Mhuire operates as an integrated campus for those with neurological needs, regardless of age. We are incredibly grateful to the Department and the HSE for their support and funding, and we look forward to continuing this partnership which is providing such valuable services for the people of Kerry.”
The development is in keeping with the HSE Corporate Plan under the priority of ensuring care in the right place which is delivered and “co-ordinated closer to home” and “increasing the amount of care delivered in the community,” with a commitment to “support more adults with a disability to access local supports and services.”