Public pressure is mounting against the closure of the Loughloe House care facility, with a protest march planned for this Saturday and a facebook campaign attracting almost 500 members.
The protest march will depart St Mary’s Church at noon tomorrow, Saturday. Meanwhile a facebook page entitled ‘Keep Loughloe House Open’ is amassing strong local support, including that of several politicians.
In spite of outcry from residents, staff, and several local politicians, the HSE says it will close the care facility on a phased basis over two months, following a damning report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA ).
The HSE is insisting that the impending closure of Loughloe House is being carried out “to protect the health and welfare of the residents”.
The imminent closure was announced by Minister for Health Mary Harney on a visit to Athlone at the weekend. According to the HSE, the facilities at Loughloe House do not meet the required standards of the HIQA. Its 30 staff and 26 current residents are to be transferred to alternative accommodation in other facilities in the surrounding area.
“It must be stressed again that the HSE took these measures to protect the health and welfare of the residents,” said a HSE spokesperson this week.
“The HSE can confirm that in consideration of these standards [of the HIQA] it has become apparent that the facilities at Loughloe House Inpatient Unit will not meet the required standards and therefore a decision has been made to close the unit on a phased basis over a two month period.”
The HSE says it is in consultation with the residents and their families, and that the transfer will consider the needs of service users and the proximity of the alternative placement to the relatives, and will facilitate residents who may be friends and who may wish to move to a particular nursing home together.
Cllr Frankie Keena said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” at the announcement, and that the HSE were “taking the easy way out” by closing the facility rather than carrying out refurbishment.
Senator Nicky McFadden says a decision to close the facility must not be taken until the HIQA report is published.
“If the facility is as bad as has been alluded to by the HSE, how has this been allowed to happen and what steps have been taken by the Executive to satisfactorily resource the centre?” she asked.
Meanwhile Cllr Paul Hogan suggested that the HIQA report does not in fact recommend the closure of the facility.
“Instead of trying to rectify the issues raised, the HSE has moved to close the facility. This is causing the patients of Loughloe House huge grief, upset, disappointment, and stress at the disruption and discomfort of being relocated to alternative facilities.”
Deputy Denis Naughten is to raise the issue with Minister for Health Mary Harney next week.
