Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly T.D. formally opened the newly refurbished Wicklow Community Unit in Wicklow Town on Friday 22nd November. Before the formal opening, the Minister took the opportunity to tour the facility and meet with staff and service users. The Wicklow Community Unit, formerly known as Wicklow District Hospital, closed in 2010. Having recently benefitted from a €1.5m investment, the Unit has been extensively refurbished and reopened to meet the needs of older adults in the Wicklow community. The facility now meets modern healthcare standards and provides a comfortable environment for service users with a dedicated and professional team of 40 WTE staff delivering high-quality care.
The Unit offers 18 beds for Wicklow’s elderly community and specialises in short stay services including rehabilitation, convalescence, respite and day services. It is the only public dedicated short stay unit for older adults in County Wicklow. In addition, the Wicklow Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP) team operates from the first floor and provides additional support to the unit.
During the visit, Minister Donnelly T.D. discussed how important supporting infrastructure is to patients: “Funding for this facility was allocated by Government in order to respond to the needs of the growing older population of County Wicklow. New or upgraded facilities like this Unit are vital to the delivery of our Enhanced Community Care (ECC) Programme, which enables people to get care close to home. They support our health service staff to provide specialist services in the community and can offer patients an alternative to long stays in acute hospitals. I’d like to acknowledge all those involved for their ongoing commitment to developing and delivering this highly-valued service.”
The Unit has a full nursing and care support team together with a dedicated team of allied health professionals including Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. There is also a Day Care Centre for the Elderly adjacent to the Unit which was also substantially upgraded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Day Centre can accommodate 20 attendees daily and links closely with both the onsite ICPOP and Nursing teams to enable proactive interventions where necessary.
Speaking about the unit, Martina Queally, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and South East comments: “Service users and staff at the Wicklow Community Unit are witnessing the benefits of integration between the acute hospital and community healthcare sectors first-hand. These services support both community-dwelling older adults and also our acute hospital partners. Having multi-disciplinary teams on site enables staff to take a holistic approach to care in the community for the older population of Wicklow. An approach which puts the needs of the service user at its very core”.
Aisling Heffernan, Dublin South and Wicklow Healthcare Area Manager notes: “the demand for services at Wicklow Community unit is high from across the county, with occupancy rates consistently above 95%, highlighting the essential role it plays in the local community. The unit had 283 admissions in 2023 and are on target to exceed this number for 2024. In this regard, we hope to further increase the offering available to the local community by adding a further two beds in the coming year as part of our minor capital plans - one bed to allow for end of life care and a further bed to enable an isolation facility”.
Beds at Wicklow Community Unit are accessed via GP and/or Public Health Nurse. The Unit also accepts referrals from hospitals to assist with hospital egress. On-site services are supported from a medical perspective by Sheeran-Purcell Medical Practice and the Consultant Geriatrician attached to the local ICPOP Team.
Last updated on: 25 / 11 / 2024
