This week Cllr. Frankie Keena said that he was deeply saddened and shocked at the planned closure of Loughloe House by the HSE. Over many years the staff in this facility has provided an excellent service to all their patients. This news has to come as a major shock to them, their patients and families, he said.
It is planned to move the patients to private nursing homes and to relocate the staff back into St. Vincent’s Hospital. It will be a difficult transition for some patients to be moved to private nursing homes as they are very accustomed to their present surroundings. Loughloe House is a home to the people who live there so in reality the HSE are asking people to move out of their homes, he said.
Seemingly in order to be registered all nursing homes have to be of a certain standard and over the last number of months HIQA ( Health in Quality Assurance ) visited the centre and have found that major re-furbishment is needed to bring Loughloe House up to this proper standard, he said.
The HSE seems to have taking the easy way out and decided to close the centre, instead of carrying out the necessary works, he added.
I am very disappointed by this approach by the HSE as their services in Athlone are depleted enough as it stands instead of them planning to close some of them down, he stated.
Obviously the HIQA report is only an excuse by the HSE to save money!
Furthermore I ask the question as to what is going to happen to St. Vincent’s Hospital if it is not up to the HIQA standards? Will we be seeing this hospital close as well? This thought is unbearable to think about! These questions need to be answered, he demanded.
Also while the Community Care Day Centre is not mentioned there now seems to be a huge question mark over the long term viability of this centre as it is dependent on Loughloe House for it’s catering amongst other things. It would be an absolute disgrace if anything happened to this facility as a large number of elderly people look forward to spending their time there during the day. It gets them out of the house and to meet people, he said.
I have corresponded to both the HSE and the Minister for Health Mary Harney, and I am awaiting urgent clarification from them on all the above matters. I have also a motion down for our next Council meeting requesting Joe Ruane, HSE Community Services Manager for Midlands HSE to urgently attend a specially convened Council meeting so as to publically clarify these matters for the people of Athlone, he stated.
