Age Friendly Roscrea leader calls for a month of action for Dean Maxwell

The founder of the very successful Age Friendly Roscrea group is calling on the people of Roscrea to mount a 20-day long campaign to save the provision of long-term care in the town's only public nursing home and has condemned the decision to move 25 beds from Roscrea to Nenagh.

Anne Keevey told the Tribune today (Monday Dec 20) that the people of Roscrea should unite and mount a concerted campaign to fight for the future of the cherished facility which has played such an important role in generations of Roscrea families.

"For close on 50 years the ‘Deano’ has been part of our community - not merely part of it, but in fact the beating heart and personality of the community", Anne told the Tribune.

"We feel safe when we know ‘the Deano’ is there. Of course we would prefer to stay at home until the Almighty calls us. However, should we need care, we want the reassurance of knowing our golden days can be lived in the heart of our community.

"We, in Roscrea are very fortunate to have three other excellent residential care centres, but best practice dictates that that there should be a private/public funded residential care mix. When this is lost situations such as is happening in Britain develop, and private commercial monopolies dominate", Anne explained.

"How a person makes the decision and how they transfer to residential care affects their well being for the rest of their days. For the members of the ‘Deano’ who start with a day in the day unit and build their care relationship up graciously with respite, and maybe eventually full time care, it is a seamless controlled experience. Mutual Community Relationships and contacts are maintained throughout", Anne said.

"The decision to transplant 25 of Roscrea ‘beds’ to Nenagh is folly in the extreme. At a time when we should be building capacity and supports, the opposite is happening", the Age Friendly Roscrea founder said.

"I am reminded of a parable from a different culture: The mother of a large family dies in childbirth. The husband is distraught, who will take care of his children, his animals, cook and clean his house. The solution is to get a new wife, an ugly one will do fine, easier to get. He gets the new wife, she even has a few more children for him.

"After a while money is tight and the husband is looking for new ways to earn some. He sees an advertisement in the paper. Sell a kidney and earn €1000. Brilliant, of course he doesn’t sell his own kidney he sells the wife’s. She recovers quickly and is back to work straight away. After a while, the money is gone, well! it was a good solution the last time, so he sells her other kidney!", Anne said.

"Roscrea Cares CLG trading as Age Friendly Roscrea have submitted a proposal to the Department of Health. This proposal is built on the previous proposal by RCDC and Tipperary LA. There are now plans to further progress this proposal. However, the silence from the Department and the Health Service Executive is deafening. Roscrea must have action.

"I am calling for the period February 2 - 22 to be Dean Maxwell Time when a concerted campaign is put in place by all Roscrea Citizens and relevant stakeholders. A united front with no other agenda except the insistence on a comprehensive, integrated quality service that is needed and deserved by older Roscrea citizens. I look forward to your participation and contribution", Anne told the Tribune.