HSE Media Release
23 August, 2024
As part of an ongoing programme of activities and events in the HSE’s Cashel Residential Older Persons Services, the opportunity was taken during the summer to mark Safeguarding awareness.
Conscious too of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (an annual event that took place in June this year), a coffee morning for both staff and residents was held in the former Our Lady’s building. In addition to it featuring a quiz and a raffle, it was a “cuppa and chat” opportunity to highlight that HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams are in place all over the country to provide help.
The HSE’s National Office for Safeguarding and its regional team covering South Tipperary and counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford oversee the implementation, monitoring, review and ongoing evaluation of the Safeguarding Policy in regard to vulnerable persons, as well as coordinating the development and roll-out of safeguarding training.
The World Elder Abuse Awareness initiative aims to raise awareness, create a culture of prevention and encourage work to eradicate elder abuse.
The HSE/South East Community Healthcare’s Cashel Residential Older Persons Services include wards over two floors accommodating up to 49 long stay residents in the former Our Lady’s County Surgical Hospital building. This is in addition to the 11 bed St. Clare’s Unit on its grounds and a 21 bed Rehabilitation Unit and Day Hospital in the adjacent St. Patrick’s Hospital complex. The 18 bed St. Anthony’s Unit for long stay older person’s care in Clonmel is also under the management of Cashel Residential Older Persons Services.
Ailish Lonergan (Asst. Director of Nursing, Cashel Residential Older Persons Services), who spoke at the coffee morning, says:
“We are very conscious that decades of older persons care in Cashel (and at St. Anthony’s in Clonmel) have been ones where we have maintained an excellent reputation for how we look after people. We are deeply appreciative of the support our service receives from residents, their families and the wider community.”
“We do, however, want to make sure there is knowledge of services whereby anyone can get help if they think there is a question of exploitation or abuse of a vulnerable individual, such as an older person. We were pleased that residents and staff alike enjoyed our recent coffee morning event and that we also succeeded in getting across the important message we had on the day.”
Last updated on: 23 / 08 / 2024
