A group of older citizens at an independent living facility in Nenagh, Co Tipperary have expressed their concerns and anxiety about proposals to remove night-time staff from their complex.
The Sue Ryder Foundation, which runs the home, is proposing to change the night-time supervision to an "on call" system, as a necessary cut to its services.
The foundation runs independent living complexes of houses and apartments at a number of locations throughout Ireland, including Dalkey in Co Dublin, Ballyroan in Co Laois, in Co Carlow and two schemes in Nenagh and Holycross in Co Tipperary.
Fifty older residents live at the complex in Nenagh. They have full kitchen, cleaning and laundry facilities and staff supervision 24 hours a day.
The residents are very happy living there. They are cocooning at present, and get out to walk in the gardens in good weather.
But the foundation is now proposing to remove the physical presence of the staff supervision from 10pm at night, in favour of an "on call" emergency help system.
They have introduced it at a number of their facilities since May of last year and say it is working well.
A local person is on call when the system is activated to attend if necessary so the residents' safety is not compromised.
The foundation says a dramatic drop in income has meant it cannot afford all the services it currently provides and adds it has been reviewing its operating model for some time. The Covid-19 virus has made it necessary to accelerate those proposals for change.
"The staff here are excellent - like our own sons and daughters - and I would be very nervous at night if there was any change."
However, the proposal to end overnight staff supervision has left a lot of the residents, many aged in their 80s and 90s, very worried.
Mary Fogarty, who has lived at the complex in Nenagh for over ten years, said she is not going to tolerate the proposed change under any circumstances.
"I have lived here ten years and I'm happy here, this is my home," she said. "I have it in my contract that I will have 24-hour supervision.
"The staff here are excellent - like our own sons and daughters - and I would be very nervous at night if there was any change."
Mary Slattery, aged in her 80s, said she would also be very anxious and afraid about the proposals.
"They have many amenities here, but one of the things that encouraged me to come here was that there was someone on site at night time, and no amount of anything else like they are proposing will do. If there was nobody here at night I would be very frightened."
Jim Morris, also in his 80s, said the complex is run magnificently and the staff are excellent. He himself had a fall from his bed one night, but got medical attention very quickly. He is very nervous about any change to the night supervision.
Independent Councillor Seamie Morris, a son of Jim’s, said that now is simply the wrong time to introduce changes to night-time supervision, and has called on the foundation to wait.
"Residents are cocooning, they are living in fear of Covid-19, they have very little contact with their families. It is simply not the time to introduce changes during this time of great concern in this health crisis," he said.
The Sue Ryder Foundation said the proposal for the Nenagh complexes and appropriate consultations with staff and residents has just begun but that no firm decision has yet been taken.
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