‘People with disabilities have mountains to climb to get basic help’

A WOMAN whose son sustained a brain injury following a road traffic accident a number of years ago is calling for funding and resources to be allocated to neuro disability services in Meath in the upcoming budget.

The woman who asked not to be named says it has been "a horrendous struggle" over the years to keep her son who lives independently in his own home and source the services he needs.

According to the HSE’s response to a recent Parliamentary Questions, there are now 2102 adults with disabilities in receipt of disability services in Meath. 403 people are waiting for services and 61 of these have an acquired brain injury.

The larger number of these waiting for services are the 1242 Physical and Sensory Clients Category which also includes neuro disability. There are 172 people waiting for physiotherapy, 100 waiting for occupational therapy services and 70 waiting for psychology services.

“These are appalling figures,” said the concerned mother. "After the financial crisis in 2008 Meath Disability Services suffered severe cutbacks and never recovered,” she added. "People with disabilities have mountains to climb to get even the most basic physiotherapy or occupational therapy services."

In 2011 the National Policy and Strategy for the Provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland was launched. This was followed eight years later by the publication of an Implementation Framework (2019-21) which is still yet to rolled out nationwide.

“That’s four years later, so twelve years and still people are waiting for this service to be rolled out. The Government has committed to putting in place nine neuro-rehabilitation teams nationally but so far only two exist in Areas CHO 6 & 7, with plans for funding teams in Areas CHO 2 and CHO 4 in 2023.

"This does not include Area CHO 8 or Meath. So again, the people of Meath are being left to suffer still further awaiting services that are never delivered."

Frame work detailing a short term intensive rehabilitation programme for up to 12 weeks for new patients is a concern according to the dedicated mother who said:

"What is to be done for the neuro disabled people who aren't in this category, people with chronic neuro disabilities like our son with acquired brain injury and epilepsy?

"The whole focus appears to be on these non existent neurorehabilitation teams and no reference as to how there are no services for the thousands of neuro disabled people waiting years for services and what is to be done about them.

"If each county in CHO 8 (Meath, Louth, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath) had similar numbers this is a catastrophe and the proposed neuro teams won't make a dent in the numbers given their limited remit."

Funding needs to be allocated for Meath Disability Service which has been very under resourced over many years according to Mary who said:

"A specific Manager of Neuro Disability Services with expertise in this area plus the Neuro Rehab Team is urgently needed now in Meath and funding must be provided as a matter or urgency and recruitment for this must be a priority for the CHO 8/HSE Meath Disability Services in the budget.”

The HSE has been approached for comment.