The Home help service has been withdrawn for some people due to the Covid 19 pandemic
Service users in Douglas confirmed to RedFM News they had received calls informing them of the move which is expected to last at least two weeks
The move comes on foot of a meeting which was held this afternoon.
In a statement issued to RedFM News this evening the Cork/Kerry Community Healthcare say, "The challenges posed by Covid-19 have unfortunately put us in a situation where we need to temporarily review the level of home support service which we provide to some people.
This temporary measure will allow us to maintain the home support service for the people who are in most need of it, and who rely on it the most.
Any changes will apply to people who have been assessed as being less reliant on the service – in other words, people who will be in a position to cope temporarily without the home support service. We have carried out significant work to make sure that people who have a higher level of need are identified, and their service will continue".
Earlier this month the HSE said there should be no direct contact between carers and clients who suspect they may have contracted the virus.
They had said they would do everything they can to continue the service and will prioritise the most vulnerable where possible.
Statement in full from Cork Kerry Community Healthcare:
The challenges posed by Covid-19 have unfortunately put us in a situation where we need to temporarily review the level of home support service which we provide to some people.
This temporary measure will allow us to maintain the home support service for the people who are in most need of it, and who rely on it the most.
Any changes will apply to people who have been assessed as being less reliant on the service – in other words, people who will be in a position to cope temporarily without the home support service. We have carried out significant work to make sure that people who have a higher level of need are identified, and their service will continue.
We acknowledge that this is not the level of service which we usually provide, but we stress again that this a temporary measure which will be reversed once the Covid-19 crisis passes.
We will be in direct contact in the coming days with anyone who may have their level of service reduced in Cork. We expect to be in touch with all those affected by Monday.
Anyone who has their level of service reduced will have been carefully assessed, and we will assess if any reduction in the level of support will be balanced by increased support from family members and/or alternative forms of volunteer-provided local supports. In the current circumstances there may be family members who would not ordinarily be at home who are in a position to provide support.
We have invested Meals on Wheels capacity in recent weeks and those in need of meals have been directed to appropriate local services. In addition we are providing links and information on the local community support programmes which are being provided by multiple agencies and voluntary groups.
Our local managers will be available so that if anyone feels their own circumstances and needs change during the temporary pause, we can review their situation and level of care again.
We would like to repeat two important points.
Firstly, this is a temporary measure to help us deal with the challenge the entire health service faces at this time.
Secondly, anyone heavily reliant on the home support service will not be affected by this action in fact it will allow us to continue the service for those who need it most.
